TARA MacINTYRE PHOTO
LEMPSTER — Eighth grade graduation at the Lempster Community School on Thursday, June 13, was led by seventh-grade marshals Jenna Caron and Alex Contaldi.
The six graduates in the Class of 2019 were McKenzie French, Kaleb Gibbs, Josh Pillsbury, Morgan MacIntyre, Baylen Hutchings, and Lance Howe.
The graduates marched to the stage to the strains of the traditional Pomp and Circumstance. The large audience of family, friends, community members and staff heard speeches by class valedictorian McKenzie French, salutatorian Kaleb Gibbs and class historian Josh Pillsbury.
Lempster Community alumni and Sunapee High School Lizzie Bennett was recognized and presented with the Vicky Goss Memorial Scholarship by Sue Hamel.
Additionally, graduates were recognized for their extracurricular activities and viewed a slideshow presentation prepared by Darcie Shepard, which chronicled their years at the Lempster Community School.
The annual LCS Memorial Day Concert was once again a memorable and special event. The gym was packed with students, staff, community members and many honored veterans.
“We were especially pleased to welcome the honor guard from the Newport Brewster-Gould-Lee-Rollins Post 25 American Legion,” said Principal Ralph Peterson. After the event a Marine veteran wrote a letter to the school stating:
“This year I finally had a chance to go to the school Memorial Day Concert. I was deeply impressed by the respect the students have for the military at a young age. If every town and state treated their veterans like Lempster and New Hampshire does, the pride to be in the military would never be hidden.”
There were many outstanding performances at the concert this year with special performances by band members Jenna Caron, Alex Contaldi and McKenzie French, a solo from third grade student Ali Norris and “God Bless the USA” sung by the trio of Jasmine Chavis, Sierra Proper and Megan Moore. The school also had six essays composed and read by students McKenzie French, Olive Jennings, Megan Moore, Brandon Gray, Rayelle Nestor and Tristan Nestor.
The last few weeks at LCS were filled with a variety of activities. The Middle School Chorus was invited to perform at the Manchester Fisher Cats game; elementary grades went on a variety of field trips ranging from the Franklin Zoo in Boston to the Montshire Museum in Vermont.
This year the eighth grade ventured to northern New Hampshire to visiting the Polar Caves, the Cog Railway, the Mount Washington weather observatory ending the three-day trip at Whale’s Tail Water Park.
Track and field has developed into a major sport at LCS. With 25 athletes participating nearly half the middle school was “on the team.”
This year the girls’ team finished fifth at the CVL Championship, its highest finish yet. The team was led by Sierra Proper (first in discus, second in the shot), Alex Contaldi (second in the triple jump, sixth in high jump), Jenna Caron (sixth in high jump) and McKenzie French (sixth in the shot). Sierra also finished second in discus at the New Hampshire Meet of Champions.
WIth Sierra, Alex and Jenna returning next year and the girls’ fifth and sixth grade team winning all three of its meets, next year’s team could be the best yet!
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