As Newtown Middle School Principal Tom Einhorn said during his school's Moving Up Ceremony on Monday, June 15, held at Western Connecticut State University's O'Neill Center in Danbury, the evening was being held to "congratulate and recognize our students."

Mr Einhorn was joined on the stage at the O'Neill Center by NMS Assistant Principal James Ross, Superintendent of Schools Joseph V. Erardi, Jr, Board of Education Chair Keith Alexander, school board Secretary Kathy Hamilton, school board member Michelle Ku. and Newtown High School Principal Lorrie Rodrigue.

More than once during the ceremony on Monday, Mr Einhorn shared a friendly warning with Dr Rodrigue.

"I told you Dr Rodrigue," Mr Einhorn said, following a musical performance by NMS Jazz Band members Ben Taylor, Thomas Hassellberger, and Bryan Ingwersen and NMS student Walker Russell, "there is great talent on the way."

Monday's ceremony highlighted student accomplishments, including recent awards and scholastic achievements, and memories.

Dr Erardi was the first to share his memories of his years in junior high school, but student representatives later shared their memories and lessons learned from each of the eighth grade clusters at the middle school.

When he was in junior high, Dr Erardi said to the roughly 425 eighth grade graduates before him, gas was 31 cents per gallon, Richard Nixon was President of the United States, and "the Amazing Mets did the unthinkable."

The world may have changed since 1969, but Dr Erardi said one denominator is still the same: family.

The superintendent urged the students to make decisions knowing they are loved by their families, and when the students make decisions, he asked them to make those choices honestly.

Dr Erardi asked the students to be the best son or daughter they can be, and to never settle for anything other than their absolute best.

When he spoke before the gathered guests, Mr Alexander prepared the students for the choices and opportunities they will have if attending Newtown High School.

"Newtown has great sports teams and academic teams. Our culinary department, music department, language departments are all outstanding. We win a lot of awards because we have great teachers, planners, and thinkers" said Mr Alexander, "and that includes our very involved students."

Mr Alexander urged the students to take the chances available to them.

"It's a very special time in your life," the Board of Education chair said, "take a risk like auditioning for a musical. Take a risk like going to the debate team to Harvard. These are all things that you have a chance to do now."

Student Council President Bryce Bisset also spoke during the event, noting that over 400 students will be proudly entering Newtown High School in the fall.

Bryce said he once thought that high school students looked big and grown up.

"I don't necessarily think that we are big or grown up, but we have come a long way," he said.

Students Jacquelyn Matthews, Baxter Page, Todd Petersen, Grace Howgego and Jenny Wadhwa all spoke as representatives of their different clusters to share memories of their time at NMS and their advice for the future.

The many achievements of this year's graduating class, Jacquelyn said, could not have been possible without parents, teachers, coaches, and the rest of the school community. Jacquelyn also told her fellow eighth grade graduates that change creates challenge, and challenge creates character.

No mater where the students go or what they decide to do, Jacquelyn said, there will be challenges.

"Meet those challenges with your head held high and your heart wide open," Jacquelyn said.

She also challenged each of her fellow graduates to live to their true potential.

"The future is truly in our hands, so let's make the most of it," Jacquelyn said.

When Baxter spoke, he said middle school is a time when the students learn about themselves and find their own identities.

He asked his fellow eighth graders to stay connected until their 2019 high school graduation because, he said, community is important.

Baxter said he will cherish his memories from NMS and the great things the students accomplished while there, before sharing some of the things he learned within the last two years at the school. Among those things, he said, was that it is important to stop and enjoy the little things, to not sit back and be silent, and to pursue dreams.

Todd told his fellow eighth grade graduates to be compassionate in order to create positive change in society. Being compassionate, he said, can be done in grand gestures but it can also be done in smaller ones, like friendly greetings or making efforts to clean in the community.

Todd challenged the students to push themselves in high school, to be compassionate and positive by joining clubs that work toward that goal.

Get involved and help others, he said to his fellow graduates.

Attending NMS, Grace said, taught the students about their endless potential, it shaped them, and it allowed the students to discover the abilities that they have. Grace also said the  students learned to always embrace themselves, to choose friends who love them and who will always be by their side, that it is important to be involved, and that life is happier when they are true to themselves.

Never forget, Grace said to the students, the important life lessons learned in middle school.

Jenny said the members of the future high school graduating Class of 2019 first met each other in fifth grade, when assembled together for the first time as Reed Intermediate School students. It was scary, Jenny said, to know only about a quarter of the students in a classroom, but they grew to know one another. At first, Jenny said middle school was also terrifying but they turned into the "best two years of my life."

Middle school memories Jenny said included decorating lockers, participating in NMS Cheer, baseball, softball, and more.

While Jenny spoke to her fondness for those memories, she also said the students are ready for the next change.

"No matter how old we get, friends are forever," Jenny said. Adding later, "Look how far we've come."