LMS Eighth-Graders 'Cross the Bridge'

The promotion ceremony at Ledyard Middle School is not quite the same as a graduation, but for 223 eighth-graders it was a night to remember just the same.

School Principal Joe Chella said the school has long held an awards ceremony at the end of the school year. “We wanted to do something special for all the kids,” he said.

Chella became school principal three years ago, and that’s when the promotion ceremony began. “We called it a promotion ceremony, as opposed to a graduation, and it’s morphed a little each year,” he said. 

The ceremony itself includes an eighth-grade awards presentation and student speeches. On Monday, Haley Hinton and Michael Larmann addressed their classmates.

And then, as parents’s cameras flashed away, each student took turns walking across the stage. They said goodbye to Chella on one side of the stage and were greeted by Ledyard High School Principal Lou Gabordi on the other side.

“It’s sort of symbolic of crossing a bridge,” Chella said of the walk each student takes. Each student received a certificate of achievement on passing to the ninth grade.

Afterward the students enjoyed a catered prime rib and chicken dinner in the cafeteria. As they ate, chairs were removed in the auditorium and the space was set up for an eighth-grade dance.

This year’s ceremony had a solemn side as students remembered David Isbell, the LMS seventh-grader who died last winter.

He was eulogized in the school yearbook. “We at Ledyard Middle School will never forget David,” an inscription reads on a page dedicated to him. “His smile lives on in everyone he knew…”

A tree was planted in his memory earlier this spring, and Chella said a plaque will be added to the memorial. He also said a picture of David will be affixed to his locker, which will not be reassigned next year.

The following list of eighth-graders were honored at Monday’s promotion ceremony:

Luis Andino, Tanner Arnold, Christopher Astuti, Andrew August, Elizabeth Austin, Joseph Bacon, Cory Bailey, Kristal Barber, Bryce Bedard, Alexis Bernis, Sara Bennett, Jenna Bensko, Briana Bisson, Jacob Bliven, Gabriel Bodrey, Jamie Bogue, Paul Bossardel, Mackenzie Boudreau, Justin Boyd, Steven Boyd, Gracie Brickner, Dwayne Brown, Jessica Burger, Danielle Buttermore, Madison Canestrari, Daniel Carrington, Alec Chattin, Tyler Chisesi, Robert Church, Caitlin Churilla, Jordyn Clark, Ivilesse Clarke-Cottle and Courney Cleitt;

Gregory Cochran, Hannah Collins, Tiana Cooper, Richard Crandall, Emme Cronin, Richard Cruz, Madison Curcuro, Sean Curtin, Daniel Cusmano, Harley Cutillo, Ashley Daley, Tyler Dalton, Zachary Davis, Spencer Dawson, Tyler DeCosta, Lauren Dreger, Daniel Drelmiller, Leslie Dunn, Quinn Duwellus, Julia Ecford, Michael Eleazer, Madison Ellis, Walter Factor, Ahmad Feaster, Julie Flanagan, Ian Foster, Smantha Foular, Frederick France, Jackson Gabriel, Tristan Gemhard, Rahel Getachew, Adam Goncalves, Samantha Grabbe and Alyssa Gracie;

Heather Hammond, Sakher Hanania, Connor Hart, Bryce Hedman, Carrie Herb, Alyssa Hess, Haley Hinton, Hannah Hooper, Faith Jano, Gavin Jarry, Cassidy Jenkins, Brittany Jensen, Bonde Johnson, Zachary Jones, Travis Joyce, Nathaniel Karpl, Olivia Kelly, Tia Kelly, Tyler Kemp, Kayla Kenyon, Michelle Klinikowski, Kevin Konrad, Katherine Kostic, Jordan Lacey, Haley Lane, Olivia Lane, Jada Larkie, Michael Larmann, Timothy Ledbetter, Austin Lee, Sierra Lee, Kathryn Lemoine and Rebekah Lickey;

Katherine Lipman, Michael Lopes, Joaquin Lopez-Watson, Carly Loy, Jillian Lozier, Tyler Luke, Kevin Ma, Sabrina Mabee, Ryan MacGregor, Aaron Macklin, Brittany Marra, Marissalyn Marshall, Alyssa Martin, Michael McDowell, Sean McGowan, Benjamin McHale, Joshua McKenna, Max Medas, Branden Medina, Bryanna Michalak, Timothy Michaud, Gianna Migllozzi, Kyra Monahan, Kali Money, Rachel Moniz, Nicholas Monroe, Kurth Morales, Marcello Munoz, Jessica Murphy, Mala Nash, Tyler, Nelson, Mikayla Nixie, Jennifer Nohara and William Oliver;

Mallory Oswald, John Pagan, Rees Palko, Andrew Pan, Christine Patterson, Samantha Pennenga, Rachel Phelps, Ellie Phetteplace, Holly Planka, Jack Potter, Harrison Ramirez, Genesis Ramon, Catherine Regondola, Ethan Reinholz, Madison Reising, Christopher Reutter, Fatia Rickerson, Meagan Robinson, Jacob Roch, Carl Russak, Bailey Ryan, Kimberly Sadosky, Zachary San Juan, Jocelyn Santiago, Austin Sawicki, Brooke Scahill, Kyle Scanlan, Desarae Schenk, Sarah Schilke, Emma Schlauder, Derek Schultz, Nicholas Schultz, Alexa Schwieterman, Jake Skilbred and Whitney Smith;

Ashley Spivey, Nicholas Starasinic, Patrick Strout, Sarah Stryker, Douglas Taylor, Kimberly Tello, Mylasia Thomas, Phyllip Thomas, River Thomas, Alexander Tierney, Zachary Timmerman, Carolynn Tracy, Catherine Tracy, Kenneth Tran, Dominique Trinkley, Malaysia Turner, Quinton Vehon, Mary Ward, Emma Watson, Grant Webler, Reed Webler, Stefanie Weglel, Dakota White, Ryan Wilding, Haley Wilt, Tyler Woods, Joshua Worst, Nicholas Wycoff, Andrew York, Margaret Young, Kyle Zepieri and Morgan Zimmer. 

Note: Some of the students' names have been withheld at the request of their parents.