Moorestown High School held a recognition reception for the class of 2022 June 7 to celebrate student accomplishments and achievements with family, friends and faculty.
Principal Andrew Seibel praised graduates for pushing through tough times.
“We talk about the challenges we faced, the obstacles we’ve overcome (and) the bright future that our seniors have,” he said. “There’s no doubt that this class is the same as every other class that’s come along in terms of that. But in addition, they’ve come through so much more.”
“As we now hopefully are exiting the issues related to the pandemic,” Seibel added, “all remote instruction, hybrid instruction, back-to-the-classroom instruction, having masks on, having masks off, battling with all those different issues that come along, the one thing that I can definitely say for this class is, you are resilient.”
Throughout the evening, students were presented with honors and scholarship awards and were recognized for community service and sportsmanship. They received chords for graduation and celebrated the culmination of four years of hard work and dedication.
Assistant Principal Don Williams noted how senior recognition night is equally important for faculty and staff.
“I’ve been in education for 33 (years) and the last 24 have been in this district, and these kids have renewed my love of why I went into this profession in the first place,” he noted.
There is also a reception for underclassmen, but Williams explained how the night for seniors has different meaning.
“We go through four years, but then that senior year, you go through, and you’ve seen them mature and you’ve seen all the trials and the tribulations, and you’ve been there as they’ve gone through pretty much every single milestone,” he said.
“Then you start hearing the buzz about college (and) you get to share that excitement and that joy with them, and it’s just a unique opportunity for us to say we care. We may not always get it right during the course of the school year … but we make sure that we try to celebrate our kids.”
Williams emphasized that even though he, Seibel and Assistant Principal Robert McGough are ready to send their students off into the real world, they make sure to keep lines of communication open while they are at the high school.
“ … What I do think we are striving to be is to be as inclusive as we possibly can, and to let everybody know who’s in this building that there is a place for you,” he said, “And that we will support you in whatever it is that you’re doing, and that we will strive to make the experiences that you have at this high school as memorable as possible.”
Williams praised whom he called the most important people in students’ lives – their families.
“We couldn’t do half of what we do if we didn’t have the support of the parents,” he acknowledged. “It is definitely a partnership that takes place … We are working in conjunction with the parents, in conjunction with the students and sometimes in conjunction with outside entities, but we are all working together for the common good.”
Williams encouraged graduates not to give up on their goals and dreams.
“Who told you you couldn’t and why did you believe them?” he asked. “Anything is possible as long as you’re willing to work for it.
“Anything.”
