The Orelia Kelly Primary School was the fourth in this year’s series to hold its graduation ceremony on Wednesday, July 15th at the Church of God (Holiness). The event was held under the theme: “There is no Elevator to Success”.
Some 51 Six Graders proudly walked up the aisle to the music of Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance”, and took their seats on stage. While the graduates were filled with pride for their achievements, their parents and friends were just as enthralled and moved by their accomplishments.
After greeting the government dignitaries, teachers, parents and the audience, Teacher Avecia said: “Welcome to the graduation ceremony of the Orelia Kelly Primary School. This ceremony marks the culmination of years of hard work, actualisation of goals and successes. To the graduates, I would like to say that graduation is not the end, but the beginning of a journey in your life. It is the beginning of a time to establish new goals and objectives.
Salutatorian – Sage Alfred 
Student of the Year – Amiyah Carty 
Valedictorian – Denari Neckles
“Many of us are experiencing mixed feelings as we realise that 51 of our students are heading off to a new environment. We are sad to see them go, but happy to know that they have successfully completed this phase of their education. Graduates, as you start your new journey, I urge you to ponder the theme: “There is no Elevator to Success”. In other words, there is no easy way to succeed. If there is a job worth doing, it is worth doing well. Although the job might seem challenging, be reminded that they are no short-cuts to completing a task properly. Class of 2020, believe in yourself, and there will be no limit to what you can do.”
Mr Aaron Adams 
Pink Panther Award – Leila Hodge-Hazell
Past Valedictorian of the school, Mr. Aaron Adams was the keynote speaker. He presented a sound address with valuable encouragement for the graduates. It was an address that was met with resounding applause of affirmation from the. In part, Mr. Adams admonished:
“Graduates, it is indeed an honour to be invited to speak to you, especially since I sat were you are sitting not too long ago. I love the theme, ‘There is no Elevator to Success’. It is timely and true. It is timely because our generation is facing tremendous pressure to be successful tomorrow. They want to be successful today, without any time to find themselves or even to find their footing. The theme is true because they are no short cuts to success.”
Mr. Adams sought to point out the ease of an elevator journey that is certainly not in line with the kind of struggle and perseverance that it takes to be successful. “An elevator provides a much quicker way to get to the upper floors. Getting upward by an elevator requires much less effort on your part,” he observed.
He continued: “I want you to think of life as a skyscraper, where we are all born on the ground floor, and various levels of our personal success resides on the upper floors. We all don’t have the same potential in life. My greatest success may be at Floor 34, while yours may be on Floor 84. But we all must rise from where we are to where we need to be in order to achieve our individual successes. How do we get there? The bad news is that in this skyscraper of life there is no elevator to reach the upper floors. But there is a staircase with hundreds of steps.”
Mr. Adams went on to explain that there is no success without hard work. He pointed out that special effort must be climb; and that even though one’s feet and back might get tired and hurt while climbing, the only way to achieve that level of success is to climb on without giving up.
“May you continue to climb the stairway of life towards your personal success,” he added. “When you get to the top, remember to reach back and try to pull up someone else. Once again, congratulations Class of 2020, and I bid you farewell.”
Following the Keynote Address, certificates and special awards were presented to deserving graduates who had done exceptionally well. These included: the Student of the Year Award presented to Amiyah Carty; Most Athletic Male Award presented to Mekhi Connor; Most Athletic Female Award presented to Keizone Hart; the Delta Petroleum Award to Soriah Alcindor; the Pink Pantha Award to Lelia Hodge-Hazell; the Salutatorian Award to Sage Alfred and the Valedictorian Award to Denari Neckles.
Tr. Verrin Fleming introduced Mr. Denari Neckles as the Valedictorian. She noted that he is a lover of Math and Science and does exceptionally well in these areas. “Denari is a native of Grenada,” she said, “and although he has not yet decided what he wants as a career, it is most likely that he would choose a career path that is associated with Math and the Sciences.”
In his Valedictorian speech, Denari said in part: “Fellow graduates, today marks an important day in our lives. It is the day that we gather together to celebrate our years of learning. We are being surrounded by those who have inspired us in some way throughout our journey. As we end our primary level of education and prepare to start a new chapter in our lives, high school, we must remember that our journey has just begun.
“We must work hard and study hard as we prepare for our future. Who knows if the next Premier is in our midst, or maybe you are watching the one who might find the cure for cancer.”
He added: “in order to succeed you must keep on climbing”.
- Staff Reporter, James R. Harrigan
