Sanfordville Moving Up Ceremony (w/ Gallery)

Graduation week in the Warwick Valley Central School District means moving up ceremonies too, and Sanfordville Elementary School held its annual Fourth Grade Moving Up Ceremony on Monday afternoon inside the cool and comfortable Warwick Valley High School auditorium.

See a gallery of photos from the ceremony below this story!

The fourth grade class -- nearly 200 students -- processed onto the stage to Pomp and Circumstance in front of a large crowd of proud family members. Also on stage were district administration, Board of Education members and, of course, the fourth grade teachers! Class members Ruby, Charlotte and Sierra led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, before Ms. Moser’s 6th grade chamber orchestra performed a stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. 

Next, it was Sanfordville Principal Johnna Maraia's turn to address the graduating class.

"Today is a very special day as you finish elementary school and get ready to move on to middle school," Principal Maraia began. "I would like you to think of yourselves as artists beginning a very important painting — your very own Portrait of a Graduate. Here at Sanfordville, you have started this painting by learning many special skills and qualities. Just like an artist uses different colors, brushes, and tools to create a beautiful picture, you have been adding important parts to your portrait every day. 

Collaboration is like mixing colors: Artists blend colors to make something new and bright, just like how you have learned to listen to others, respect their ideas, and work as a team to reach common goals.

Communication is like drawing clear lines: Artists use clear lines to show their ideas. Like you have practiced sharing your thoughts by reading, writing, speaking, and asking questions so others can understand you.

Creativity and Innovation are like using your imagination: Artists imagine new ways to paint and create. Just like you have used your creativity to solve problems and try new ideas.

Being an Ethical and Global Citizen is like painting with kindness: Just like choosing warm colors to show care, you have chosen to be kind and respectful, to understand different cultures, and to think about how you can help your local and global community.

Resilience is like fixing a mistake in your painting: Sometimes artists make marks they don’t like, but they keep working to make their art better. Just like you have learned to keep trying, make good choices, and never give up when things get hard.

Problem Solving is like finding the right brush: When artists face tricky parts, they try different brushes or tools. Just as you have learned to face challenges with confidence and use what you know to find new solutions, even if it means making mistakes.

Being a Life-Long Learner is like creating a passion to paint every day: Artists keep practicing and learning new techniques their whole lives. Just as you have developed a love for learning that will keep growing as you move forward in life." 

Principal Maraia also applauded the Sanfordville 4th grade team, including teachers, aides, Encore teachers, and service providers, for preparing the students so well for the next step in their educational journeys. After Principal Maraia's address, Ms. Fitzgerald introduced the Principal’s Leadership Awards portion of the ceremony. These awards recognize students for consistently demonstrating PAWS behavior and leadership skills this year. 

At Sanfordville, PAWS stands for Polite, Accountable, Wise Choices and Safety First. The acronym is used to teach Sanfordville students about Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (aka PBIS), which is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. PBIS lays out behavioral expectations for students in school settings and offers strategies they can apply to meet them.

The proactive approach preempts behavioral problems rather than relying on a punitive model, creating a positive and supportive learning environment that benefits everyone in the school community. Students attend PAWS/PBIS assemblies each month that focus on things like practicing kindness, nurturing self-esteem, and stopping bullying. Associate Principal Tim Ferraro presented the awards. 

Congratulations (in alphabetical order) to...

• Jude Bakos (Wishnia)
• Enzo Codutti (Fitzgerald/Wihry)
• Davin Crane (Clark)
• Audrey DeBuck (Steinberg)
• Charlotte Eaton (DeGuisto)
• Riley Enderes-Morales (Rourke)
• Emme Fanos (Augelli)
• Serafina Fiorella (Reilly)
• Kyle Flood (DeTorres)
• Charlotte Furman (Augelli) 
• Troy Haysom (Harrington)0
• Breckin Jaeckel (Clark)
• Hazel Luthin (Fitzgerald/Wihry)
• Aubree McCall (Bauer)
• Fiona McMenamin (DeTorres)
• Abigail Mentone (DeGuisto)
• Gia Patel (Wishnia) 
• Grayson Pettit (Rourke) 
• Mia Scoolidge (Fitzgerald/Wihry) 
• Luna Mia Semioli (Reilly) 
• Dominic Vivino (Steinberg) 
• Levi Wyant (Harrington) 
• Sarah Zimmerman (Augelli)

Ms. Fitzgerald then introduced the Triple C Awards, issued by the NYS Office of the Attorney General and presented, again, by Mr. Ferraro. The Triple C Awards recognize students who exhibit strong Character, Courage and Commitment. Our Sanfordville students receiving the Triple C Award this year are Aubree McCall and Bodhi Honerkamp. 

Following the awards portion of the ceremony, the class was led in the 4th grade song, "Fly Away Home,” by music teacher Allison Echevarria. And then it was time for the Sanfordville Elementary School Class of 2025 to receive their Moving Up Certificates, which were presented by the fourth grade teachers: Jenny Augelli, Brendan Bauer, Erin Clark, Veronica DeGuisto, Carolyn DeTorres, Stacey Fitzgerald, Jamie Harrington, Meghan Reilly Ponesse, Emily Rourke, Colleen Smith, Ali Steinberg, Maureen Wihry and Sherry Wisnia.

Congratulations to the Sanfordville Elementary School Class of 2025...

• Hunter Adams
• Cali Addon
• Leah Alicea
• Elizabeth Allen
• Langston Allen
• Madelynn Almeida
• Kiera Altieri
• Tyler Altieri
• Vincent Andersen
• John Andryshak
• Judah Azzi
• Jude Bakos
• Michael Balk
• John Barden
• Cillian Bates
• Kaiden Bennett-Isaac
• Aviva Bing
• Edward Boller Jr.
• Rhys Britton
• Greyson Bryant
• Peter Bukovsky
• Adrian Cabana
• Raza Camp
• Derek Cardenas
• Colbie Cartwright
• Christian Caruso
• Anthony Castro
• Cavan Charity
• Juana Chunux Garcia
• Ruby Clavell
• Enzo Codutti
• Maeve Conforti
• Levi Contreras
• Davin Crane
• Ryan Curran
• Raymond Curtis Jr.
• Nola Daly
• Audrey DeBuck
• Thomas Delaney
• Juliet Dispenza
• Ronan Doyle
• Marcello Duggins
• Grey Dwyer
• Makayla Dwyer
• Brooke Eagleston
• Charlotte Eaton
• Cameron Echevarria
• London Edwards
• Riley Enderes-Morales
• Cruz Eschmann
• Emme Fanos
• Emily Fenfert
• Grace Ficker
• Mae Finnegan
• Serafina Fiorella
• Liliana Fitzpatrick
• Kyle Flood
• Nathaniel Fodor
• Elliott Fostine
• Anna Fragale
• Hayley Freitag
• Charlotte Furman
• Evan Furtaw
• Tre Galletta-Ekberg
• Alexander Garcia
• Kenji Garcia
• Anthony Gervase
• Jameson Goetz
• Dean Gregorio
• Mia Gryz
• Troy Haysom
• Joshua Healing
• Autumn Heitman
• Nina Heymer
• Jamie Holt
• Bodhi Honerkamp
• Breckin Jaeckel
• Fenton Jinks
• Benjamin Johnson
• Henry Johnson
• Ryan Jones
• Penelope Juron
• Braedyn Kaval
• Nicolas Keller
• Logan Kempler
• Rydia Koch
• Camden Kump
• Hunter Lageman
• Connor Leisengang
• Dominick Lepine
• Quinn Levy-Dahl
• Ruth Lewis
• Holden Loibl
• Emma Lopez
• Violet Lundgren
• Eli Lustberg
• Kai Lustberg
• Sierra Lustberg
• Hazel Luthin
• Brayden Malone
• Jonah Marin
• Liam Marley
• Lukas Marshall
• Connor Masker
• Aubree McCall
• Kieran McCosker
• Fiona McMenamin
• Novello McRoberts
• Abigail Mentone
• Brett Meyer
• Ariana Meza
• Sophie Molina
• Lucas Montemarano
• Sia Moreno
• Cameron Oppito
• Carly Orthmann
• Jackson Page
• Jaxon Paltrowitz
• Gia Patel
• Thomas Patterson
• Grayson Pettit
• Olivia Porter
• Nolan Raif
• Weston Raif
• Ayla Redivo
• Hunter Reyes
• Elijah Rodriguez
• Kieran Romain
• Lilliana Rossano
• Mason Sachno
• Alister Sarach
• Nicholas Schieffelin
• Brody Schmehl
• Joshua Schultz
• Adeline Schwandt
• Mia Scoolidge
• Luna Mia Semioli
• Molly Shea
• Addison Sobotor
• Lucy Socaciu
• Alexandra Spinelli
• Alexander Stazzone
• Kalina Szapka
• Madeline Taylor
• Bakari Thomas
• James Tomaselli
• Alexandria Torres
• Magdalena Tuckfelt
• Joseph Turk
• Mason Uribe
• Olivia Van de Water
• Alexa Vega
• Olin Velez
• Dominic Vivino
• Jonathan Vogel
• Nathaniel Ward
• Faith Warnecke
• Landon Weiss
• Maya Wen
• Dahlia White
• Ladaiya White
• Levi Wyant
• Alexander Yang
• Sarah Zimmerman 

In her closing remarks, Principal Maraia introduced fourth grader Derek Cardenas, who has a passion for songwriting. She explained how Derek attends Paul Newman Camps each summer and collaborates with an organization called Hear Your Song, which supports Derek's creativity in writing lyrics and composing music. Derek also works with a musician named Colton Thorn, who learns and records Derek's songs. 

"Today, Derek has written a heartfelt song especially for his fourth grade classmates as a farewell to SES," said Principal Maraia. "We invite you to join in and sing along with the chorus. Please enjoy Moving Up, Moving On, lyrics by Derek Cardenas, vocals and instrumental by Colton Thorn."

Finally, Principal Maraia reminded the students that yesterday was only the first stop along their journey to creating their complete Portrait of a Graduate.

"The painting you started here at Sanfordville will keep growing and changing as you move through middle school, high school, and beyond. Each new experience will add more colors, depth and details to your picture," she said. "We are so proud of how hard you have worked and all you have learned. As you go on to middle school, keep building these skills and qualities every day. Keep being curious, kind, brave, and creative. Your future is bright, and your portrait will be a masterpiece!"