In an outdoor ceremony marked with pomp, circumstance, balloon arches and other fanfare, the Middle Avenue Middle School class of 2021 celebrated their moving up on June 11 with two ceremonies.

“The past two years our students have faced unimaginable challenges,” said Assistant Principal Kate Caporusso in her opening remarks. “Their patience and fortitude has been tested in the most trying of times. And they have persevered. Things may not have looked exactly as they have in the past, but with a lot of planning, creativity and courage, we reimagined how things could look and worked to give our kids the experiences they deserved.”

Eighth grader Zara Selvin belted out the National Anthem and Word of Mouth, led by Dana Brandwein, sang a moving rendition of “Just Sing.”

Sanford H. Calhoun High School senior Eden Gould-Anderson was invited to address the 12:30 p.m. ceremony and encouraged incoming freshmen to ‘develop their own voice or style.’

“These next four years will help cultivate who you are,” she added. “Be sure to find passion and balance.”

Principal Katelyn Dunne addressed the crowd just ahead of the diploma presentations, thanking the students for ‘bringing life back into the building.’

“This year sparked innovation and challenged most of us,” she remarked. “Everyone was forced to adapt and adjust in some capacity and this experience has let us see how amazing and resilient you all are.”

Blake Chandler, an eighth-grade student in Merrick Avenue Middle School’s special education program, has often mentioned his affinity for baseball.

One of his teachers, Anthony Rizzo, also coaches the school’s seventh grade baseball team and decided to make Chandler the team’s manager.

“As a surprise, when Blake entered our May 21 game, we had him run the bases to a cheering crowd,” explained Anthony Rizzo, a special education teacher and baseball coach.

Blake and his parents were surprised and excited about the opportunity. Players and players’ parents all chipped in as well.

“They made signs and banners with Blake’s name on it to make the day even more special,” added Rizzo.

The Merrick Avenue Middle School Robotics team recently competed in a live-remote VEX IQ Robotics Tournament on April 28. 

This season, 15 of the school’s top STEM students in the Robotics Club built a VEX IQ claw bot to compete in an event that was streamed-live on the internet via webcam under the advisement of Michelle Biancardo. 

“This year's team joined in multiple matches of the VEX IQ Challenge, called ‘Rise Above,’ which was played on a 6' X 8' field right here at MAMS joined with 20 other teams remotely from across the country,” explained Biancardo. “Our team's robot was scored by REC judges watching from Texas as they competed in 60-second-long teamwork matches which involved our team members driving their custom-built robot on the field and moving game elements into goals. Our Robotics Team had an exciting night putting their STEM skills to work.”