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=Three Star Academy Graduates Reflect on their Journeys= Graduating from Grade Eight is like getting ready to turn the pages in a suspense novel: you don’t really know what’s coming next. You may have a pretty good idea based on what’s happened so far, but at this point, anything can happen! The last few days of Grade Eight are fun and exciting, but can also be full of anxiety as students look ahead and try to determine what their next chapter will look like. For students who have transferred from local public schools to small private school (as have most students at Star Academy), one thing is certain: they want to continue learning for the sake of their own goals, and not just because it’s what everyone says you have to do. Below, three students share their reflections on graduating from the small independent school that has shown them the meaning of its motto: “Learn to Love to Learn”. I was a public school student who never cared about work, always gave up and was thought to be a fail at Math. I would never ask for help or write in my agenda, which led me to tell my parents that I never had homework but they knew better. Now, I write in my agenda and I do the Senior Homework Agenda on a daily basis. As for Math, it’s my favourite subject! When I came to Star Academy, I immediately realized it was a different environment. Just seeing the “Learn to Love to Learn” painted above the couch was different. The public school I came from didn’t’t have a motto to inspire us; if they didn’t’t like something you did, you would go to a detention room. At Star, I participate in class and enjoy learning because I don’t have teachers who yell at me or say negative things throughout the class. Teachers at Star Academy joke around sometimes, when appropriate, and truly care about the behaviours of their students and they always do something helpful when something inappropriate or unacceptable happens. Since coming to Star, my marks have gone from D’s to A’s and B’s. Thank you! It was only a year ago that I would often explain a bad mark to my mom with an “I’m dumb. I used to be smart, but not anymore.” I didn’t try at school, and my marks where quite simply embarrassing. This year was different: I tried. I tried because…well… I wanted to. Star made it worth the while. It taught me the meaning of education and that hard work opens the path to the future. Every life begins when we’re young, and it’s now when our choices really count. I will attempt to keep the lessons I have learned at Star with me throughout the rest of my life. Star Academy had been a great experience for me. I would like to thank everyone again, and I will cherish the memories in this year for decades to come. I now know where I’m going. I once thought that opinions (particularly in a classroom) were a waste of time; past teachers seemed to have no room for my ideas. Often now, I wonder if it was because I underestimated myself and therefore didn’t speak up to gain their support. Perhaps the teachers at my public school //could// teach to how I needed to learn, but I never gave them a chance. At Star Academy, the teachers took the time to get to know me. I believe that knowing my teachers (and all of Star’s staff) were supportive and the fact they were willing to challenge me was what encouraged me to open up. I now share my opinions (such as ones regarding grammar) sometimes a little //too// much. I feel true motivation for the first time to grow and adapt to reach my acting goal. I don’t believe graduation is the end of anything, but a new beginning which is presented to you with a stronger foundation of yourself than ever before. I wish all my fellow graduates good luck because we are all capable of being successful *** * * *** *
 * Courtney P:**
 * Jamie B:**
 * Kelsey N:**