Merrick Sixth Graders Celebrate Moving Up Day

MERRICK, NY — Wednesday was an important day at Birch School in Merrick, as the sixth grade class was joined by family and friends to celebrate moving up day.

The moving up ceremony was a chance for students to look ahead to their time at Merrick Avenue Middle School, but not before reflecting on their time at Birch.

“As the years passed, we became stronger, more confident and more independent,” one student said. “We know if we work hard, stay open-minded and stay focused, we can accomplish anything.”

Merrick Board of Education trustee Linda Wilk told the students that the day was a marker of how much work had gone into getting there.

“Today is about your achievements,” Merrick Board of Education trustee Linda Wilk said. “Each of you has spent years building friendships, learning new skills and discovering who you are. And today, we celebrate how far you’ve come…Be curious, be kind, be yourself and stay connected. Community can help your roots grow strong.”

PTA President Samantha LaPella, in her remarks, highlighted the staff and faculty who had made the students’ time at Birch School possible.

“Birch gave us roots, our memories gave us strength and our futures give us wings,” LaPella said. “May you always carry the spirit of Birch School.”

Meanwhile, Principal Kerri Galante drew from a headline-making piece of news as the basis for her remarks: The New York Knicks’ NBA championship win.

“As I watched their championship journey, I realized there were a lot of lessons that connect to your time at Birch,” Galante said. “Think about it. No team wins a championship on the first day of practice…Championship teams aren’t remembered because everything went perfectly. They are remembered because they kept going when things got hard.”