
noelle@coastalbreezenews.com
June 4 marked the end of the school year for Collier County Public Schools. It also marked a milestone in the educational careers of Marco Island Charter Middle School’s 2014 eighth-grade class — the annual promotion ceremony. This year, MICMS sent 139 students onto high school during its 16th such ceremony, 35 with high honors and 44 with honors.
Held in the gymnasium, the evening’s event was marked by a processional of the students accompanied by the traditional graduation song “Pomp and Circumstance,” a warm welcome by Principal George Abounader, student remarks, the presentation of promotion certificates and academic awards

The promotional ceremony closed out the last few days of school for the eighth graders, which included final exams and an awards presentation for the students. Teachers in every subject — academic and elective — gave students awards for achievement, participation and improvement. Throughout the awards presentation, students performed for their classmates, including Bailey Sparks, Chelsey Perez, Josiah Hurtley, Logan Smith, Lorry Lyn Sullivan and Natalie Hughes. Smith’s rousing rendition of “Toast,” in which he played rhythm on a toaster with spoons, had the entire class on its feet.
The highlight of the

Dorestin talked about being part of “a program that is bigger than any single individual.” He emphasized that school is “more than a pencil, paper and calculator,” that is it about “life lessons,” and that showed him and his classmates “how to keep moving and going strong.” He was even wistful about looking

Vann remembered being an awkward and shy sixth grader when she first came to MICMS and shared some of her favorite memories of all three years at the school. She joked about eighth grade being “the year that we never stopped testing,” and noted that despite the brain pounding they all took they all survived and “swam through the waves that threatened to drag us down.”
Forrest likened her middle school experience to a game

Denisen thanked her family and especially her mom for all of the love and support they had given her while she was a student at MICMS. She also expressed her gratitude for the

Once the promotion certificates were handed out, academic honors and overall school awards were presented. Chief among those were the Eagle Awards. Heart of the Eagle was given to Lorry Lyn Sullivan. Eye of the Eagle was given to William Glasser. The Soaring Spirit Award — which symbolizes an incredible will to overcome obstacles — was given to Sandjuya Thelusnord. Finally, the Flight of the Eagle Award was given to Cody Webb for overall growth — intellectual, social and behavioral — he exhibited since entering MICMS in

Vann translated the emotion and expectation of the promotional ceremony best with parting words she quoted from Robert Frost: “In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: it goes on.”
Indeed it does, and for these students, let’s hope it goes on to bigger, better and brighter futures.
PROMOTED WITH HIGH HONORS
Hadir Ahmed
Antonio Andrade
Jose Benitez
Madison Bonfitto
Nicole Brotzman
Caitlin Carlson
Cassidy Carlson
Yesenia Castillo
Ethan Dorestin
Pilar Forrest
Morgan Grimes
Madeline Grucci
Casar Guerrero
Garvely Guillaume
Ethan Hartman
Natalie Hughes
Isabelle Johnson
Brian Kocak
Gisselle Labra
Nicholas McCarty
Mercedes Mertens
Daniel Nguyen
Tia Nielsen
Leah Pearce
Vincent Piranio
Santiago Ruiz
Stella Souza
Lorry Lyn Sullivan
Alicia Tower
Jordan Vann
Hailey Vaughan
Sandy Vizcaya
Olivia Watt
Kaley Whitworth
Danya Zarate
PROMOTED WITH HONORS
Luis Aguilera-Puebla
Diana Almazan
Mackenzie Ascetta
Jason Beauplan
Christopher Calcagnini
April Cantu
Andrea Castillo
Joshua Dacruz
Bayan Dadressan
Matea Denisen
Susan Faremouth
Logan Fischer
Parker Galloway
Alexander Galvan
William Glasser
Frida Hernandez
Brenden Howard
Josiah Hurtley
Junhee Kim
Kayla Kladis
Lawens Liberus
Mackenzie Lytle
Ashley Manzanares
Charles McAllister
Brianna Monroe
Wiley Morgan
Diane Needles
Kayhan Peksen
Chelsey Perez
Lady Ramirez
Gianna Rose
Cesiah Sanchez
Allison Schindler
Jacon Schneller
Elizabeth Schulteis
Logan Smith
Fritz Stahl
Catherine Stogner
Rose Sullivan
Payge Sutton
Xhesi Tase
Sandjuya Thelusnord
Jovani Trejo
Zachary West
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