Students Share Inspiration and Gratitude at
2020 Graduation Ceremonies

Hello, class of 2020, and congratulations to everyone on our collective completion of the final academic year of high school. This graduation is obviously not what anyone envisioned as we entered senior year, yet I am inspired by the valiant efforts of both the administration and the student body to restore order to a circumstance defined by chaos. While the coronavirus outbreak has devastated the globe and will reshape the world order as we know it, the pandemic has also—in a subtle and less noticeable way—tested the character of every individual watching this speech. Ironically, COVID-19 brought out the best in the Rowland Hall community and particularly the class of 2020. When our switch to distance learning was announced, I thought school had essentially ended. I predicted that students would stop showing up to class, that teachers would lose interest, and that the vibrant joy of learning that resonates in each and every Rowland Hall student would be socially distanced into oblivion. But I was wrong.

In lieu of the bleak, despairing vision of the future I had anticipated, the Rowland Hall community responded with persistence and tenacity. Collectively, we innovated to ensure that we could still access the culture of learning that defines this community despite our physical distance. Mr. Hori sent his physics classes breadboards and LEDs to ensure the physics class could understand the intricacies of circuitry—and play with some fun toys while doing so. Mr. Birchler created his own version of a YouTube channel and uploaded more content than professional entertainers in order to make space during class time for students to ask questions and discuss statistics with each other. And Dr. Hickman transformed the end of her class into a book club in which my peers and I rediscovered the stories that made us who we are today. These stories prove to me that the class of 2020 is more than a group of people who chose the wrong year to be a senior. Rather, the class of 2020 is a class of resiliency. The coronavirus has certainly brought this quality of our class to the limelight, but as I reflect on my time at Rowland Hall in the process of writing this speech, I have come to realize that our four years at this school have been defined by fierce resistance in the face of tough opposition. It is our resiliency that I think of when I remember how I and the rest of my Calculus BC class were, as Steven so eloquently put it, “smacked down” by Croft’s polar test and came back the next day, energetic and eager to learn more. It is this resiliency that explains why Ben Amiel stayed up into obscene hours of the night preparing the 427 kilobyte analysis of Christina Sharpe’s In the Wake that resulted in a Rowland Hall victory in quarterfinals of the Meadows Tournament. I am thankful for our class’s resiliency when I recall how Hailey was patient with me despite my abysmal canoeing skills causing her head to get acquainted with one too many tree branches. 

Ultimately, I think what we have learned about ourselves and each other throughout our years at Rowland Hall is that we do not give up. When the going gets tough, we get tougher. When life gives us a pandemic, we turn it into an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to connect with each other in spite of the challenges around us. I firmly believe that each and every one of us will apply our grit and our fight to become artists, athletes, doctors, engineers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, scientists, and whatever else we desire despite the odds. Already, I have seen my peers achieve unparalleled success in the most intensive and challenging college admissions year in history and I have the utmost confidence that I will continue to hear stories of such successes as the years progress.

Classmates, as this speech comes to its conclusion, I want to take this time to thank each and every one of you for allowing me to be part of this high school community. Because of the individuals in this community, I have started the long and arduous path of finally beginning to understand myself. I have learned that sports aren’t really my thing and that I don’t actually hate debate. I have learned that I have an unreasonably large appetite for Barbacoa and that I should probably remember what Panama is in my next history class. Most importantly, however, the class of 2020 has taught me that I can always turn to my peers for help should I require it. In light of this, I can only conclude this speech with the hope that I have had as positive an influence on your growth as a learner and a person as you all have had on mine.

Thank you, and congratulations again to Rowland Hall’s class of 2020!

Good morning, everyone, and congratulations to the graduating class of 2020! My heart goes out to everyone due to the unfortunate circumstances in which our class must graduate. Though we are going through a trying time, I know we can all work through it, and come out stronger. We have all been through so much during our time at Rowland Hall, the COVID-19 outbreak is just another small bump along our roads to success. For those who have attended Rowland Hall since the Lower School, we have raised money for rainforests, we have worked hard to earn art tickets in Ms. Czar’s class, and we witnessed the election of the United State’s first African American president. We have supported each other through many difficult times, like when Ben Kanter decided to slide head first down the slide at recess and knocked his tooth out, or when Matthew fell off the stairs from the top floor. In Middle School we worked hard to put on international night, experienced the legalization of gay marriage in Utah and the United States, thanks to one of our very own teachers, and witnessed each other mature and grow. As high school began, we all strove to perform out best in symposium and the ad project. We watched Milo dab at Camp Roger, and we have worked together, helped each other, and found success through the college application process. We are a truly tight knit and caring community. Along with the students, the faculty and administration at our school have worked tirelessly to help us succeed and live happy lives. When President Trump was elected, they held a special assembly for us to make sure we were all emotionally okay, no matter which side we were on, and opened the doors to the counselors’ offices to make sure we had a safe place to speak and let out our feelings. Rowland Hall has supported each of us throughout our lives and helped us become successful in school and in our extracurricular ambitions. I have made friends at this school that I know I will have forever. I have befriended faculty members I know I will be visiting and catching up with for the rest of my life. KP and Dr. Halloran, if you are listening, I would love to go on a hike and get lunch sometime this summer if either of you are available or if you are in Utah. Also, Dr. E and Ms. Friendman, in the coming years I would love to ski again when the resorts open.

All in all, I know we are all experiencing difficulties with the stay-at-home orders, and the circumstances in which we are graduating; however, this is a time to celebrate our achievements. We have all worked so hard during our time at Rowland Hall, and our capacity to perform will allow us to get through the difficult circumstances life may present. I know through this pandemic, and the rest of our lives, we will support each other and push each other to become the best people we can be.

I wish everyone a happy and healthy future in your continued education and other endeavors. I want to congratulate everyone on their amazing achievements at this school. It has been a pleasure to be your student body president, and I am so thankful to have been chosen by all of you to represent our student body and such an admirable school. Thank you.

An Unexpected Ending

Thank you, Mr. Sparrow. And thank you to the teachers, staff, parents, friends, and fellow graduates who made these three years everything that they were.

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2024. I am honored to call myself a Winged Lion and to call all of you my friends. When I heard I had the privilege to make this speech I recalled many amazing memories I had. Although I was new to Rowland Hall in sixth grade, I was immediately welcomed and felt like a part of the community. Our grade has learned a lot of valuable lessons from these three years. I would like to thank the faculty for providing such a wonderful environment at Rowland Hall. Each of you not only made learning enjoyable, but also constantly put us first, sacrificing time from your day in order to be available for questions and offering feedback. Additionally, I would also like to thank the administration for providing such a great Middle School with all of their hard work. I could talk about how every member of this wonderful school has impacted my life, but because of time constraints I can only name a few. Firstly, I would like to highlight Mr. Robs. He is always encouraging, enthusiastic, and constantly pushes us to do our best on anything. Next, I would like to thank Mr. Tatomer for always being patient and chill while teaching engaging classes. Mr. Stern is patient and always makes the class entertaining and informative, helping everyone remember concepts clearly. In addition, Ms. Donnelly is straightforward and makes our experiments more realistic, creating fun and engaging work. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge my advisors from the past three years, Ms. Lawlor, Tyler Tanner, and Ms. Yoon. These three people have helped me with challenges I have faced, being more productive and organized, and providing a comfortable space.

There are many things we experienced during these three years. Some were challenges like procrastinating on projects, restarting papers, and finishing long videos. Some were memorable experiences such as the Tetons, intriguing class discussions, and simply just spending time with friends. Then, just when we were about to celebrate getting through the year together, just as we have been looking forward to Washington DC, the dances, and a real commencement, the world is turned upside down by a global pandemic. I’m sure this year was not what you have envisioned. The disappointments of missing a live commencement will pass pretty quickly and we will all have plenty of time to see each other when this health crisis is over. But this day marks our way to go into the next chapter of our lives, high school, and given our current situation, that’s pretty scary. Countless families are struggling during these tough times. Currently, there has been massive economic inequality, racial discrimination, and a lack of basic healthcare. With all of the challenges the US faces, we must all work together, stand up for each other, and lead the country into a better place. Although many of us will not see each other in person after today, I have faith that we all will persevere through this crisis and continue to maintain this tight-knit community I have experienced in my time here. Thank you.  

One Heck of a Ride

Paige: Hi, my name is Paige Connery, and I just finished my eighth-grade year at Rowland Hall.

Lauren: And I’m Lauren Bates, and I also just finished my eighth-grade year at Rowland Hall. Today, we will talk about how great our eighth-grade experiences were.

Paige: At the beginning of my eighth-grade year, I was a little nervous and scared (especially of Mr. Robs) and I didn’t know what things were going to be like. Little did I know, this was going to be my best year of school yet. 

Lauren: Like Paige, I was also nervous coming into eighth grade. I had already heard so much about it from my older sister and people in the grades above. They said it was one of their favorite years of middle school. I was excited, but nervous that my year wasn’t going to be as special as everyone said it was. But, this year ended up being my favorite year of middle school.

Paige: To start, I would like to thank all of the Rowland Hall staff for such an amazing year. This year has been really special for me. I have had some of the best teachers that I have ever had in my life and I have had so many good memories and experiences that I will cherish forever. The Rowland Hall community is truly a special one, and right from the beginning I felt welcomed and knew I belonged at Rowland Hall. I would like to give a special thank you to all my teachers; they have constantly challenged me in class and they have always made class enjoyable. The start of my eighth-grade year didn’t go the way I planned it to; I was struggling to find the right friend group. With some help from my community at Rowland Hall, I found my people. I want to thank my friends for always being there for me and having my back, no matter what. I would like to give a special shout-out to Lauren Bates, even though we weren’t in the same friend group at the beginning of the year, I could always count on her for a nice comment, a smile in the hallway, or some good advice. If you know Lauren, you know she is nice to everyone and throughout the year, we have bonded and become very close, which I am so grateful for. Now here we are, speaking at graduation together. I have had really special friends this year and I am so thankful for all the memories and fun times. My friends and I have shared so many laughs this year and been told to stop talking in class many times, and for that I am forever grateful.

Lauren: Throughout my eighth-grade year, I have made so many memories. One of my favorite memories was going to the planetarium and then going to Noodles & Company after. I know that doesn’t sound that exciting, but the jokes we made on that field trip keep me laughing to this day. And now I feel sad whenever I pass by Noodles & Company. I also loved when we had the movie night or when we went to Camp Williams. There are so many memories I could talk about, but if I did we would be here all day. The Rowland Hall community is one of the main reasons I have so many fun memories. Every single one of my peers has made me smile each and every day. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to go to this amazing school with these amazing people. I feel so welcomed and appreciated every time I come to school, whether it’s online or not. I would like to give a special shout-out to Paige Connery for always being by my side through the good and the bad. She is so loyal and can always find a way to make me smile. I am so grateful for the friendships I’ve made at Rowland Hall. I don’t think you can find these kinds of people anywhere else.

Paige: Next, I will be talking about my transition to distance learning. I honestly never thought I could have a school year as fun as this one. When COVID-19 hit, I was devastated. I thoroughly enjoyed going to school every day and seeing everyone. I was really upset when I found out we would be out for a month, but then the amount of time grew with COVID-19, eventually claiming the rest of my eighth-grade year at Rowland Hall. This was hard for me, I was upset because my class was going to miss the DC trip, we weren't going to have graduation in person, and I would not see some of my teachers and peers for a long period of time. Although I was upset, I knew Rowland Hall would handle this situation correctly. Even through Zoom, my teachers have made online classes very similar to real school and I have learned so much from all my teachers. I know they have adequately prepared me for high school. Although I missed seeing everyone at school, I had a very positive online learning experience. This brings me to my next thank you: I would like to thank Mr. Sparrow for all he has done for not only me, but this entire community for so long. Although I only came to Rowland Hall in seventh grade and only knew Mr. Sparrow for two years, I was always greeted by a smile in the hallways and I always enjoyed seeing him at soccer games. I think we can all agree that Mr. Sparrow has handled the COVID-19 situation incredibly well, so thank you, Mr. Sparrow.

Lauren: I remember the day that we were told that we were going to be doing online school. I had just finished the brown-bag dance performance. When I was told the news, I felt so overwhelmed. I did not know what was going to happen, and I was, frankly, very scared. I was mostly sad about missing DC and our graduation. My eighth-grade year had already been so amazing and I was worried that I would be behind in online learning. But all of the teachers and staff made me feel much better about the whole situation. I knew that everything would be handled properly. I have learned so much through online school. Every teacher has been so helpful and so patient. I feel like I have grown so much academically, but also as a person. Every project or assignment we have been given has been so engaging and fun. At the beginning, the thing I was most scared about was if online school would prepare me for high school. Now that our year is coming to a close, I feel more than prepared. 

Paige: I am very excited to be returning to Rowland Hall for the 2020–2021 school year. I will miss middle school, but I am very excited for high school. I have heard great things about the high school from my sister and other high school students and I can't wait to play on the same soccer team as my sister and see her in the hallways. I am very excited for high school soccer and I can't wait to make more memories with my existing friends and to make new friends!

Lauren: I am also very excited for high school. Although I’m a bit nervous, I am excited for all of the new opportunities high school has to offer. I know that my years of middle school have prepared me well. I’ve made so many memories in middle school so I can’t wait to make more in high school. The thing I am most excited about is meeting new people. I’m going to miss middle school, but I’m excited for my new adventure in high school!

Paige: We couldn't end our speech without giving a big thank you to two teachers who will be greatly missed in the Middle School next year.

Lauren: Mr. Tatomer and Mr. Robs, thank you so much for everything you have done for this school. I have learned so much from both of you and this school will miss you both. 

Paige: Mr. Robs, thank you for everything, I will miss all of our fun times in class. Some of my favorite memories in class are when you would shoot basketballs for Dum Dums, you would let me throw markers at the board so you would shave your mustache, and when we would jam to “American Pie” and Johnny Cash. You always entertained me in class and greeted me in the hallways; you are a special teacher and person that I will always remember. I hope you remember all the TikTok dances we taught you! Mr. T., you have taught me so much this year and I’m so grateful I had you as my teacher. You are calm, patient, and kind with everyone, and you are always positive. I always had so much fun in your class and you always put a smile on my face. I expect to see you cheering loudly in the stands of soccer games in the upcoming year, and you already know Lauren and I will be at your basketball games. I will never forget all the things you taught me. I will always remember you in a positive way and I look forward to seeing you in the halls and in the stands next year!

Paige: To conclude, I would like to thank all my teachers, friends, family, classmates, Mr. Sparrow, and the Rowland Hall staff one more time. Eighth grade was the best year of school in my life so far and I am forever grateful for the positive experiences and memories I will cherish forever. I am so thankful that I got to spend my middle school years as part of the Rowland Hall community and I look forward to high school!

Lauren: We have made so many memories and friendships this year. We both have had such a positive experience at the Middle School. Everyone is so welcoming and kind. You truly cannot find the people you find here anywhere else. Thank you to the staff, our peers, and Mr. Sparrow for making our time at the Middle School so special.

Fifth Grade Commencement by Juliana N.

Hello, future Lower School students. In this speech, I will talk about my favorite experiences of each year in the Lower School. My favorite experience in first grade was doing the rainforest fundraiser. I loved drawing signs and to give pennies to the rainforest. In second grade, one thing I loved was having a little mealworm pet. We got to feed them, check on them every day, and watch them grow and turn into beetles. In third grade, I loved working on and presenting my biography. The biography share shaped me to work hard and have fun at the same time. Also in third grade, we did a Rube Goldberg project. That taught me that if you don’t make it work the first time, you can always try again. And, just like that, I was in fourth grade. In fourth grade, we had so many field trips! My absolute favorite was going on a one-night camping trip. The classes got to hike up a trail (my favorite part was crossing the river!). Once we got up, we ate lunch, then continued on a little trail to our camping spots. Later on, we got to set up a tent with the groups we got to pick. After that, there were more fun things! That’s a small summary of our fourth-grade camping trip. My other fourth-grade favorite was seeing the view from Timpanogos Cave. 

I would like to thank all my teachers for being kind, generous, patient, unbelievable teachers. Thank you to Ms. Button and all the teachers I’ve had in the past. In first grade: Ms. April. In second: Ms. Beverly. In third: Ms. Sara. In fourth: Mrs. Pectol. I would also like to thank all of my Beginning School teachers. 

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The Way Rowland Hall Has Impacted My Learning by Paulina I.

I was born in Chicago and became a Montessori child when my parents enrolled me at Forest Bluff Montessori. I lived in Chicago for seven years. I enjoyed school a lot, but when I moved to Park City everything changed. I used the computer for the first time, and I started using it more and more, over the first two years in my new city. During my fourth grade year, I moved to Rowland Hall where instead of using a computer to do most of the work, we used it only to help improve our learning and do things that you cannot do on paper. The balance of the iPad and paper was perfect. I enjoyed using paper again. I believe that during these uncertain times, having the skill of being able to work using paper and computers at home has helped me. I have been able to get work done without being distracted as it frequently happens with the iPad or iPhone. I’m very grateful to Rowland Hall for reminding me that balance is important.

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My Fifth Grade Speech by Arianna A.

Hello, my name is Arianna, and I am going to tell you about my amazing three years at Rowland Hall. The first year here for me was third grade. I had two amazing teachers, Erika and Jeanne. I was late that day, but I was ready for my new school. The school I went to before here was The Madeleine Choir School. Anyway, my parents walked in with me, and the minute I walked in, I knew this would be the best school! And on the first day, we got some stationery. 

Well, in third grade, we learned about the world and its cultures. I made many awesome friends. They were so kind to me. During the year, a couple of friends and I made a club. It was called “the Rowland Hall Trash Community Club.” We were supposed to pick up trash in the club. We had a ton of fun and learned new things. But, later on, we found out that Jeanne was retiring. I was so sad. I liked her so much. Same with Erika. Then, a great surprise came. On Color Day, Jeanne told us that she would be staying one more year!! We were so glad.

Then, fourth grade. Well, in fourth grade, we had a new teacher, Mrs. Pectol. She was also an amazing teacher! She had a daughter in fourth grade. Well, in fourth grade we learned about government. She made it so fun! And, to make it seem real, we actually made a whole government system with currency, elections, presidents, and more! There was also a class shop. It was super fun and interesting. Sadly, a good friend of ours left the school. So sad.

Then, fifth grade. Fifth grade is going good too. Same as always, our teacher was amazing. His name is Mr. O! I always wanted to be in his class. This year, we learned about the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and colonial times. And, we also had a colonial party. We got to be just like them. He also made my year amazing.

And, that’s it for my story. Lastly, I would like to thank all the teachers, staff, and friends for all they did for me, and for making it possible for me to attend Rowland hall. Thank you for listening! And I wish you good luck!

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How the Lower School Community Has Helped Me by Simon J.

When I first came to Rowland Hall in fourth grade, I was obviously a little nervous, but I was surprised that everyone was so kind to me. On the first recess, my teacher Mrs. Pectol asked if somebody would show me what we did for recess.  Even though I can barely remember what I did at that recess, it was a very fun one. Later that year, in 2019, I had some troubling news that my grandma was in the hospital. When I told my class about it, they were all really kind and compassionate and helped me through this. Even though I was sad about that happening, the kids in my class helped me through this tough time. The community at Rowland Hall has always been something I can rely on. People like Chuck were there and able to help me through these times in my life. Rowland Hall is a great place to go to school and the kids and community here are always something you can rely on. It is a great school with great people.

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Lower School Years by Morgan S.

My name is Morgan and I have been at Rowland Hall since I was four years old. The Lower School has been a great experience for me. In first grade, I had Ms. April. She was a great teacher to have as I started my Lower School experience. In second grade I had Katie. She was an amazing teacher and I was so sad when I had to leave her class. In third grade, I had Jazmin. She was so kind and amazing. In fourth grade I had Matthew. Fourth grade was a great adventure with all of the field trips but Matthew made it even better.  This year I had Mr. O, who was a great teacher to have as I ended my Lower School experience. I also want to thank my tutor, Karen, and all of the specialty teachers, Ms.Czar, Ms. Carly, Mrs. Spiro, Anna, Collin, Darcy, Mrs. Hall, Señora Abby, Señora Coreen, Mrs. B, and Javier. I want to thank Jij, Mrs. Tatomer, Chuck, and everyone else who works at the school, and most of all I want to thank all of my friends. You have helped me during my hard times and laughed with me during the fun times. You have all made this a wonderful experience for me and everyone else. I am so excited to move on to the Middle School and continue my great adventure there, but I will miss being here and I will always remember you and all my great experiences here. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart

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The Year We Had by May O.

Well, it's definitely been an interesting year. We had a pandemic, a couple of earthquakes, nothing much.

For many people, mostly students and parents, this has been a time to think, “Man. I hate online school.” Now I wasn't talking about all of us. Well, yes I was talking about all of us, but I'm sure there's 15% of you who are going to pretend you enjoyed it. I was not one of them. But we still had a pretty awesome year.

We... (well some of us) were student ambassadors (who from my experience, basically talked to one family then gorged on chocolate muffins).
We... probably did sprints every day after recess to be first to lunch. (Not the best change.)
We... wrote probably the same number of all the essays you've ever written in a year.

Fifth grade’s been an adventure but for some people it started the moment they became a first grader. I loved playing at recess with all my friends in first grade, making game books with Avery in second, and me, Elle, and Kate W. were always squabbling in third. In fourth grade, me and Ruth would hang out almost every day before school in her mom's classroom, and of course in fifth grade my table designed the comedy show, Mister Measure.

Everyone has their own memories, and everyone went on their own adventure. For some, this will be where they leave for a new adventure but not goodbye. For others, this has just been a stepping-stone to the new adventure to come. Whatever commencement means for you, live it. You only get one chance.

Now I will say thank you, for listening, and I look forward to the next year of my life...and to living it with whoever wants to come along for the ride.

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My Rowland Hall Lower School Experience by Elle P.

I am Elle. I came to Rowland Hall in first grade. Susanna was my teacher. I was a new student and everyone was welcoming, so I made friends quickly. May was a friend from another class that I snacked with. Something I remember doing is making a little boat with corks on it and putting it on a stream. I had Katie in second grade. I loved her class. Sometimes she gave us gum, and she never got mad. I remember making soda in science. I made a poster about soda called Fizzy Izzy with Sabina and Izzy. In third grade, I had Jeanne and Erika. I am glad they didn’t retire. Erika told us stories about herself, which I enjoyed. My closest friends were May and Kate. I won the class spelling bee that year. Ms. Love was my teacher in fourth grade. I enjoyed the many field studies, the first being Mt. Timpanogos, where part of my lunch was ruined. Another was the first overnight field study. I won the class spelling bee again. This year in fifth grade, Mr. Obermark is my teacher. I am in a separate class from some friends, but we spend time together. At practically every recess, Izzy, May, and I go on the monkey bars. I participated in the yearbook club and May, Zoe, Lila, Maggie, Arwen, and I were in the fifth-grade squad. We made the fifth-grade pages in the yearbook. We did go on some field trips. I am glad I might be on Mr. Obermark’s volleyball team next year. I am sad to leave the Lower School. It has prepared me for my future in middle school and beyond. I love Rowland Hall because of my phenomenal teachers, friends, and experiences. Thank you.

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Making New Friends by Lila B.

Hi, my name is Lila! I moved to Utah when I was about six years old. I moved from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Salt Lake. It was a big change, since I was going to be in kindergarten that coming year. I was very nervous about a brand new school with brand new people! I told my mom I didn’t want to go! But my mom forced me to go. Thank you, mom. As soon as I walked into the classroom, I felt very welcomed. The teachers were so nice and welcoming! I felt like “OK, this might work” and oh boy it did work. From that day on, I thought every new student should feel the same way I did that day! Even though I am in fifth grade, I still try to welcome every new student or new friend. I think that everyone should try to do the same, even if they are a different gender, race, or even if they are in a different grade! Hey, if you give someone a chance they might just become your childhood best friend. I would like to say thank you to all of my past teachers for all of the support you have given me! Thank you!

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Memories by Chloe V.

Hi. My name is Chloe. I have had many priceless memories and experiences here at Rowland Hall. I'm going to name a few. I came to Rowland Hall in second grade. My teacher was Ms. Beverly. She was the perfect teacher to give me a good impression of Rowland Hall. The best memory I have from her is probably when Ms. Beverly did a cartwheel for the class and I will never forget how good she was at it. In third grade, I had Ms. Jazmin, who was the absolute best teacher to help me with my mystery book report. The memory that I have from third grade will never ever be forgotten. At the time, I had two goldfish. I was allowed to temporarily donate my fish to be the class pets. Speedy and Shiney stayed throughout the school year. In fourth grade my teacher was Ms. Love. She is an extraordinary teacher. She doesn't just act as your teacher she acts like your friend. I have countless memories that I will always treasure. The fact that we had 14 field trips is amazing. Our research on the four Utah tribes was one of the most fun projects I had in fourth grade. Last but not least, I have Mrs. Button for fifth grade. Believe me when I say that I will never forget fifth grade or Mrs. Button. There are no words to describe how sad I am that we could not have spent the last quarter of the year with Mrs. Button. All of the social studies and language arts projects in fifth grade were phenomenal: Discovery, The Explorer Report, Colonial Journals, American Revolution Biography. They were all so memorable. I truly will never ever forget the experience I have had at Rowland Hall. Thank you.