On the first day of School, Mr. Farmen asked us each to pick a tree and watch it every day to witness its changes over the course of the year. At first we were all a little perplexed, but did as we were asked. We watched our trees as they filled with vibrant shades of orange and yellow and red, until the palate of color fell to the ground. As spring rolled around, leaves began to replenish the once empty trees and the flowers blossomed.
Rumsey is like the tree, an anchor that holds us all together despite how strong the wind may blow, our roots keeping us firmly attached to each other. And we, the students, are the leaves. Sometimes fighting the wind to break free and other times trying not to let go.
Eventually the time comes in which the older leaves lose their color and fall off. The wind then blows them in the direction of their next home, wherever that may be. However, the tree remains as it awaits the arrival of the new leaves. The leaves will continue to fall, while new ones take their place, but that tree will forever be there, nurturing leaf after leaf.
There are 320 leaves that have crossed paths here this year in the little town of Washington Depot, forming our own unique community. Despite our differences in backgrounds, we have found that we can all relate to one another. We are connected by the unique traditions that Rumsey promotes. Such as sipping a warm cup of hot chocolate at the Farmens after a long night of caroling, or a game of broom ball out on the ponds and walking through the frigid Connecticut weather just to get cookies. Listening to the Captains' reports during morning meeting, or running around on Track & Field Day, competing for color points, battling for the Dorm Cup, Varsity Banquet, getting up on stage at Air Band and walking down the hill all together for the final time as a class.
Today marks a giant turning point in each of our lives. We have spent the past few years exploring this remarkable place: learning from one another, laughing until we could hardly breathe and building relationships that will last long after our time here concludes. We studied many different subjects, but the lessons we learned outside of the classroom were the most important ones. The teachers taught us more than knowledge of their subjects; they taught us about life. Challenging us to overcome our fears and giving us the courage to strive for excellence. Thank you to our teachers for pushing us, and our parents for giving us the opportunity.
We have finally navigated our way through all the chaos and drama that middle school brings. After a lot of hard work and determination we are all about to cross the finish line together. As much as we want to remain attached to the branches, it is time for us to let go and leave this tree behind. It has provided us with a home, nurturing us and giving us the essentials to grow, but now we must pass along this experience to new leaves.