Where each asterix section is, Chris handed over to a different person/ group of people. I hope it makes sense a little....thought some of you might be interested to see what he said anyway :) The game they played to find out which order the tables got served was a huge hit - it was so much fun! We were at Mr Macs table so we had our food first :) that was hilarious too :) We thought they were joking!
The video clip above shows Chris reading the last section - with a little interlude from a friend with a bit of a Swedish accent ;) These things happened a lot during the evening and showed just how much this class means to each other - they really are a great group of kids! I can't say that enough!
Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the 2007 - 2008 Grade Nine Farewell. My name is Chris Thorpe, and i am going to be your Master of ceremony for tonight's gala. Please make yourselves comfortable and enjoy the festivities which will commence with our very own Mr. Marshall!
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Thank you Mr. Marshall. Well Ladies and Gentlemen, I myself have only been here at St Luke for just over a year, but in that time I count myself very fortunate to have become a part of this wonderful community here at this school. I look around here at this room full of faces that I have come to know so well and I can think of so many memories that I will take with me as I move on to my next school. Let me share one with you. The first day i walked in to my Grade 8 class , i was so scared they would eat me alive, and treat me terribly! I remember thinking that it wasn't for everyone being so friendly, I was going to stay home and wait for high school! Now this class is like my second family and I know I'm going to miss them all so much! And I have learned how to look at a first day as a whole new adventure, and how i hope next year you all share that same feeling as you start your first day at High School!
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We will now enjoy our meal catered by: (name provided by Mr Mac) And as Mr Mac always goes first, Mr Macs table will go first...and then all the other tables will compete to go next with a game!
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Ladies and Gentlemen, if I could have your attention please, ..........please join me in thanking tonights caterers and the grade 8, 10 and 11 servers for tonights wonderful meal.
Now I'm sure you all remember the Pinocchio play, one of the most spectacular performances i've ever had the honour of performing in. It wasn't the quality of the sets that impressed me, it wasn't the improvising when my wig fell off in front of Jean Vanier, and it wasn't the upside-down bra, though that one was good. Rather, it was how the cast and crew performed like friends, and it was my favourite performance of my acting career. I think it really showed through in our performances that we all had such a great time creating those characters for our audiences!
I'll leave you with a quote from John M Richardson Junior:
“When it comes to the future, there are three kinds of people: those who let it happen, those who make it happen, and those who wonder what happened.”
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Thank you. The Junior High years have been full of such wonderful memories! Last week, we went on a camping trip. Before we left, we discussed safety measures, and such. The most memorable questions was from our fabled kris cop, "Do we have to bag our poop?", and "can we bring gasoline for a bonfire?". After asking if we had to sleep in lean-to's, he eventually made us laugh so hard that the class was in a riot. Along with hilarious comments, our tradition of fun attendance at the end of the week was highlighted by Maxwell telling us of his epic tales, of quests and journeys. We heard of the badger on the roof, and the scary face on the tv, and the brother drinking beer, only to find another badger. Following his story of his dad passing out, we always look for max to entertain us and enlighten to comedy within our stories.
Another unforgettable moment would be the introduction of Debbie, the delightful class joy. Debbie can be seen on angry lectures and loud screaming, and is not a pleasure to meet. Ladies and gentlemen, we give to you Garrett's and Kerra's creation, Mr. Mcdonald' s Vein, Debbie. Gloriously, that is not all Mr. McDonald has done for us. A while ago our beloved human statue, Casey, lost his male pride. Now Mr. Mac thinks that we, Grade Nine are behind it, and begins to question our morals. If it wasn't for grade 8 handing it back in, we would've been on the chop block.
Another quote for you! You can and should shape your own future; because if you don’t someone else surely will.’ And that ones from Joel Barker!!
And now Ladies and Gentleman it is my great pleasure to introduce to you the Grade 9 class of 2008 Valedictorian Miss Sarah Tansowney!
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A Classic memory between Sean and I was when we had Mr. Devark as our substitute teacher. Sean and I were fighting over Aluminum and Aluminium, and eventually had such a loud argument Mr. Devark came over and told us to quiet down. We didn't listen, and fought again until i was told i had a speech impediment, and Sean was denoted a genius for his Chemistry Knowledge that half the time he didn't know about it. Me and Sean have ever since the mighty battle between England and Canada, and i really have to admit he is a worthy adversary, apart from the rainforest debate where i won fair and square. However, talking about enemies, there is no one more competetive than Darcy, who we all know for his passion for sports. HARGH to me signifies the beginning of war, and i have no choice but to smile when he punches the volleyball who dives at the soccer ball in net. There is no other goalie but darcy.
I was happy to have my first Junior High Dance here at St. Luke, and even though we all dance as if no one is watching, which sometimes makes us look really bad, i just want to let Rosy know that one day you are gonna crash into someone with that crazy dance of yours. I don't know whether you would call that the hurricane or the tornado, but i do know that its an addictive dance that gets all of us dancing crazily. Speaking of crazy, it has to be given to matt at 4 o'clock in the morning on the camping trip. We all want to know WHY he was calling for Harriet Tubman at 4 in the morning....who IS Harriet Matt??????
And again, a quote for you all, this time from Ashleigh Brilliant ‘Nothing we can do can change the past, but everything we do changes the future.’
And now Ladies and Gentleman, Brenna and Sean will present the class awards
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One of the highlights of our time here at St Luke has been watching the development of the school we have been supporting in Mabula. As students growing up in such a fortunate environment, it's been such a great honour to participate in activities to raise funds towards such a worthwhile cause.
One of these activities was the "wake-a-thon". We all had so much fun, and we got to bed at 3 in the morning. Playing Catch Phrase was priceless. I don't know if you've heard of the foreign word "Salami" or if you have heard of the word re-sort, but apparently Aaron had. Now when we see a chunk of salami, we are all going to have to smile and rejoice in the hysterical joke behind it.
Seeing how much our small efforts here in Canada have brought to the children in Mabula has definitely touched us all and we have all learned a lot about gratitude - something that we will carry with us throughout our lives.
And now please join me in welcoming Mrs Sharon Fraesse to the podium for the presentation of the schools Ambassador Award.
(followed by speech)
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thank yous (provided by Mr Mac)
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Well, this evening is finally drawing to a close. Looking at each other, I am sure that these are just some of the memories that are going to stay with us and follow us as we move forward and work towards our goals and dreams.
And so whether you remember Salami or Debbie, or whether it's Mrs. Gascons phone going off in our class that you remember most, let these memories stay with you. Keep them in your pocket and hold onto them as you take that step through the door of your new high school in September.
Follow your dreams, from small town to big city, and go out into the world the St. Luke Students that we are. Our relationships have proven to be strong, and our Faith has stayed true to our goals in life.
Thank you all for being here and helping us to celebrate our passing from Grade 9 to 10. May we all stay Happy and Healthy. May we all live long and good lives and may we all continue to strive for our goals. Stay in touch guys!
Ladies and Gentlemen - I present to you the St Luke Grade Nine Class of 2008!