July 19, 2006

Dear Students, Staff and Families:

I hope that the end of the school year provides you with a welcome change of pace and an opportunity for some rest and relaxation. My mother was born in Norway and I have the good fortune to have remained in close contact with our extended family. After graduation my wife and I made a return visit and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery and the comfort of a warm and inviting family visit.

Printed below is a text copy of my remarks from this year’s commencement ceremony.

Good evening ladies & gentleman and soon to be graduates.

A couple of days ago I met one of our seniors in town. I wished him well and asked him if he was excited about graduation. He replied in the affirmative and then went on to share the fact that he would be one of only a few high school graduates in his family. To that student who sits here today and his family we salute you!

To the 89% of the Class of 2006 who will soon be attending our fine, local community colleges and some of the most selective universities in the country, we salute you!

To those members of the class who have distinguished themselves artistically in many ways including our select choir who recently returned from NYSSMA with a gold medal with distinction, we salute you!

To the students who have worked hard in their studies which has led to the district being ranked in the top 10 in the Business Review, we salute you!

To the scholar-athletes and 9 of our 12 varsity teams who earned the designation as a scholar athlete team with a 90 or better average, an all-time district high total, we salute you!

To our athletic teams and individual competitors who achieved more sectional titles and success at the state level than in any time in school history, we salute you!

To one of our graduates who will soon become a Marine…we salute you!

And finally to all of the 69 soon to be graduates, their families, faculty, staff, Board of Education, Principals Leforestier and Deluke, we salute all of you!

Sincerely,

Mark Villanti, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

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