GOOD EVENING. It's usually my pleasure to welcome parents to an open house or when they come to visit for their reports cards. We usually get 100% turnout--I've always been proud of that. Then we go through a year and we ask ourselves, "I wonder how those 5th graders are going to do at the Middle School," or "I wonder how that 9th grade class is going to start off at the High School." And then I think about the classes that have gone through.

I guess I could give Felicia a report card by starting back in 1st grade with Mrs. Mitchell.
Mrs. Mitchell remembered this bright-eyed, blue-eyed girl standing there at her desk in the morning looking at her just beaming and busting with something to say to her teacher--she just couldn't wait.
And when she had the opportunity [to listen], what she heard was a loving child, very excited about the things that were happening in her life and her brother Michael, who was also at Akron, two grades ahead of her.

As she moved on to 2nd grade with Mrs. Smith, she was coming back from her first operation and things were a little tough to get started. But always there by her side were her friends, these young people that we have with us tonight have always been there for her, and I'll challenge anyone who wants to come into Ephrata to challenge these young people and what they stand for.

Third grade with Mrs. Sheaffer, who just had a baby last week, would have loved to be here. She said she had to be one of the most enthusiastic children she'd ever had. She struggled at times but she always had her friends there, and when everything came together, that bright beautiful smile appeared.

Mrs. Lindman, 4th grade, remembers a determined person that knew she had to work harder than other people but she didn't mind putting in the time. And all of her classmates would be there by her side.
In 4th grade she cherished talking about her brothers and sisters, it was the highlight of her day.

Right around 3rd grade, Felicia started noticing my ties, and when I took the tie and I said "You know that every one of these ties was designed by a child" and this particular tie was designed by a girl named Dana. The name of the tie is "Helping Children and Their Families Around the World" and I wore it tonight because it was her favorite. She would always check me out when I'd walk into the school to see what tie I had on ... I have about two dozen of these, so she knew most of these ties and the names of the children who designed them. That was a little thing that we had going.

Mrs. Gemmell, her 5th grade teacher, remembers how hard she worked and the fun that we had up at Camp Swatara.

Mrs. Penchansky, our guidance counsellor, used a word that really meant a lot to me, and that was that she was such a "charming" person. I think once you were around her long enough, you realized that you had a friend for life and that you could always talk to her. If you'd sit down at lunch and just look at her, she'd start talking about her brothers and sisters. We always got a really good feeling about her.

If I can put together a report card for her, which I'd love to tell her, she'd be all 'A's in my book. She was a great child to be around. She was motivation for a lot of her friends. These people [her family] are motivation for me. Kevin and Deanna, I can't say enough but to say you are raising wonderful children. They're loving children who believe in each other, which today is hard to come by.

Tonight as I came here, and you know how 7th and 8th grade students are, as they're growing up (and you all get to grow up, you'll get there, be patient). The number of 7th and 8th graders who came and gave ME a hug made me feel really good, and that's the way I want to remember all of you as you go through school. You are great people. You have a friend never to forget. Please remember her as long as you live as I will.

It was an honor being here this evening. Thank you very much!