Although the weather stayed pretty unpredictable last week, the eighth grade class had sunshine and mild temperatures for their outdoor promotion ceremony on campus at Cardozo Middle School on Wednesday, May 22. Families gathered in the audience to witness their students’ progression from a middle schooler to freshmen in high school. The seats were filled with standing room only available as well and the students lined up in their gold and blue gowns for the final time on the Cardozo campus.
Principal Kevin Bizzini greeted family and friends and invited CMS Student Body Vice President Stefani Chagoya to lead the guests in the flag salute. The crowd remained standing as CMS student Selene Cordova sang the National Anthem.
“It has been the privilege of the Cardozo teachers and administration to serve this incredibly talented group of young men and women over the past three years,” expressed Bizzini during the ceremony. “To all of the 150 students presented for promotion tonight, we salute the perseverance and fortitude that you have demonstrated toward the completion of your middle school education.”
There were 16 students recognized for their academic excellence with the Education Awards Program honor of maintaining an average GPA of 3.5 or above through all 12 quarters at CMS.
“While we are here to honor your achievements over the course of the past three years, I wish to honor what I believe to be the most important quality that we have strived to cultivate in you,” Bizzini added. “Some people call it determination. Others refer to it as grit. Simply put, it is perseverance. During the past three years, you have pushed yourself through difficulties and you have stayed the course.”
Cardozo Valedictorian Cristian Fuentes and Salutatorian Gonzalo Luna Blemonte gave great messages to their fellow students.
Bizzini recognized some accomplishments that students made throughout the 2018-19 school year like Melany Mejia, Hunter Collison, and Jordan Gitmed that participated in a robotics competition, winning first place in Red Ribbon Week, while Alex Collins, Hunter Collison, and Fernando Pena became the first Cardozo Middle School students to receive medals at Stanislaus County’s annual Science Olympiad.
To which he said, “throughout our city and neighboring communities, our eighth grade students have demonstrated their commitment to our school’s three ‘R’s: Respect, Responsibility, and Relationships. I am extremely privileged to have served as principal to a group of students that owned up to our school’s mantra ‘We will Because it Matters’.”
Since this was Superintendent Dr. Daryl Camp’s final appearance at Cardozo after accepting a position in a different city, Bizzini gave some heartfelt words.
“The Cardozo family thanks Dr. Camp for his years of service to students of RUSD,” he said. “We thank you for modeling your expectations that the people of RUSD practice civility on a daily basis. You have always emphasized that what we do must always be focused on what’s best for kids. Your vision for education has left its impression on our district and I can only hope that those of us that remain can carry on the good work you have established from your first day on the job. We will miss you, but wish you all the best. We will miss your bow ties.”
There were few students that did sport the bow tie in honor of Camp at the ceremony; Dr. Camp recognized them and had them stand as they wore the bow ties proudly.
The Cardozo eighth grade class was presented to Camp which he accepted and the applause and cheers filled the air as the middle school students now prepare for the move to high school.
