Grade 11 Graduation 2024

The Grade 11 Graduation Ceremony took place on June 19 and was an exciting evening filled with jubilant celebrations and heartfelt recognition. With yellow calla lilies affixed to their Selwyn House blazers, the Graduating Class of 2024 processed into Coristine Hall after a traditional bagpipe opening. The ceremony was presided over by Headmaster Mr. Downey, who read the names of the boys who attained awards for high academic achievement and other distinctions.

 

Members of the platform party that handed out prizes to the graduates were Board Members Mr. Avedesian '88, Mme Boivin, Mr. Birks '88, Mr. Guzzo '86, and Mr. Pitfield ’93, Chairman of the Board along with Mr. Lajoie, Head of Middle School. Mr. Banerjee, Head of Senior School, acted as MC for the diploma distribution, calling up each boy to receive their diploma from Ms. Wong, who is retiring after 27 years of service as Senior School Administrative Assistant. Additionally, Mme Martel, who retired in December after 34 years of service as an Elementary School teacher also was invited to present diplomas to her former students now graduating.

 

Our Co-Head Prefects Luca Kestenband '24 and Crosby Wise '24 acted as the Co-Valedictorians and spoke from their heart when they said: "These bonds and memories are what create as what all of you know as the Selwyn brotherhood. Every single one of you graduates who carry the Gryphon logo will forever be a part of the Selwyn brotherhood. It doesn't matter who you are, if you go to this school, you bleed black and yellow."

 

Graduation is always a bittersweet occasion as graduates say goodbye to some of their peers but also look forward to their next steps, whether that be attending CEGEP, Selwyn's Pre-University Program, or Prep School. However, the sense of camaraderie among the boys is palpable, and it's clear they've forged bonds that will last a lifetime. Afterwards, there was a reception for the graduates, their families, staff, and friends in the Guzzo Family Yard.

 

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible, especially Ms. Walker, Executive Assistant to the Headmaster, who is also retiring this year after 20 dedicated years of service. Have a wonderful summer, and we look forward to seeing how your journey continues as Old Boys.

To view all the photo of the 2024 Grade 11 Graduation please click here.
 
Highlight Video 

Good evening parents, guests, teachers, staff, and fellow graduates. I, Crosby Wise, and I, Luca Kestenband, have the privilege of being the co-valedictorians on this eventful day, marking the end of our high school careers. In other words, we made it--somehow. We are both very proud of how far we have all come and are humbled by the opportunity to reflect upon our collective journey these many years.

Crosby: For those of you who are not aware, a lifer refers to someone who has been at the school since kindergarten. Back in 2011, a little boy stepped into Selwyn House, this new world, not knowing what it truly was. I can still remember that very first day of kindergarten when we all got dropped off in the east yard when it was still Portland cement and didn’t have a pirate ship. I remember crying in my mom’s arms because I was so nervous. That was until we walked into Madame Renaud’s classroom and I met the people I now consider to be my brothers. That frown I walked in with was then replaced by a smile that stayed on my face for the next 12 years.

At our first full school assembly, Mr. Hannaford asked all kindergarten students to stand up and wave to the grade 11s. I thought to myself, “Wow these guys are huge”. I also remember saying, “One day I’ll be there waving to the kindergartens.” And after 12 long years, I made it. I, along with Marc, Nick, Winter, Richard, Matt Den, and Benicio, all felt the nostalgia from when we were that young and silly little boy looking up at those grade 11 who we all thought were giants. Well, now we have grown into those giants guiding the next generation.

Luca: Middle school was a rough two years for us: not only did we get hit with acne and voice cracks, we also had to survive online learning and Covid bubbles. We had already had a rocky start, and then Covid came in out of nowhere, completely disorienting our way of learning and limiting a lot of physical activity. The thing about middle school is that I think it is the place where you begin to learn how to grow up. Your studies start to become more serious and what you can and can’t get away with starts to become more apparent. Despite the challenges of Covid bubbles and restrictions, we did learn how to manage those years in middle school relatively well. Throughout the pandemic, our spirits remained high. We found ways to enjoy ourselves in our little bubbles, like playing football or spikeball in the yard. One thing that stood out to me about our grade is the outdoor ed opportunities we have had throughout the years. We had our first real camping trip in middle school, where we learned how to become more independent. We would cook our own meals, find ways to occupy our time and forge new bonds with other students that would last our entire Selwyn career. It was also a time of growth and maturity, we all started to learn the values of patience, self control, and not burning holes through our tents. Despite our small deficiencies, we truly learned how to be resilient in times of hardship, which set us up well for the difficulty of Senior School.

Crosby: Now this is where the fun--I mean, growth--really began. Senior school. What a time to be alive. As Luca said, Covid was a stump in our growth, but this all changed when we got to Senior School. Life was kind of getting back to normal. Slowly but surely, we started to mature. More educational and social opportunities arose and we as a grade took complete advantage of that. The most important thing you can do at Selywn is take advantage of all it has to offer, and we as a grade rose up to the challenge and did exactly that.

As the grades flew by in the blink of an eye, we turned into a family that couldn’t be separated. The true brotherhood began to develop. For me, the grade 10 retreat was the major shift for our class. A bond was built on that trip amongst each and every one of us and that bond only grew stronger to this day. I think it’s fair to say that our grade 11 year has been the best one yet. We worked hard and celebrated even harder knowing that this memorable chapter of our lives was soon coming to a close. We trudged through our last midterms, completed our final projects, and suffered the last of our end-of-year exams. All to make it to this point. Prom, an evening none of us will forget, was a seemingly perfect way to end our year and journey at Selwyn. We laughed and danced and reminisced on this huge chunk of our lives that will only better shape us in the years to come. Time is short, even though we didn’t realize it at the time, and personally, I can’t believe we actually made it to this day. Looking out at all of you, a part of me still feels like the little boy who had only just stepped through these halls for the first time. I will be forever grateful for the lessons, friends, and what now will only be memories of my time at Selwyn House School.

Luca & Crosby: We would like to thank the many people who were integral in our journey throughout high school. Firstly, we’d like to thank Mr Banerjee for sticking with us these 3 years, even when times got tough. He constantly went the extra mile just to see us thrive. We would also like to thank Ms. Torry for guiding not only the prefects, but the entire student body. She would always lend an ear when a student was facing hardship, or encourage people with their new ideas. We’d like to thank the parents as well, for supporting us throughout this long journey, and for all the work they do behind the scenes. Lastly, we would like to give huge praise to our fellow graduates. Boys, the constant friendly competition through academics and athletics pushed each and every one of us to be our best selves. We thrive off each other, we make each other better people and we will forever be grateful for what each of our classmates has done for us throughout our Selwyn House experience. 

Luca: As we all graduate from high school on this very day, we will continue to grow, just on different paths. Whether that is to grade 12, CEGEP, or the few of us going to prep school, many things will change. As our final year came closer and closer to an end, I began to feel more and more spikes of sadness wash over me. I may not be a lifer, but I have spent the last 7 years of my life here. A time full of memories and happiness. And it doesn’t matter whether you’ve been here for the last 12 years or only one. Whether you were here long enough to remember Richard dropping his water bottle in a war memorial pool, or the fun time in the snow on our grad ski trip this year. These bonds and memories are what create what all of you know as the Selwyn brotherhood. Every single one of you graduates who carry the Gryphon logo will be forever part of the Selwyn brotherhood. It doesn’t matter who you are, if you go to this school, you bleed black and yellow. So as we all move on to this next step in our journey and grow into the people we have always looked up to, know that this place, these people, they all want the best for you. Not many places offer the same love and support that this school does and will continue to offer long after we graduate. Do not take for granted what this school has given us, and go out into the world while remembering the values that this school has taught us. Be true to yourself and strive for the best version of yourself. Be true to others by being kind to the people around you. Be true to your school, or place once you’ve moved on from your education. And finally, be true to the world by respecting the environment you are in. 

Congratulations fellow graduates!