As the school year is coming close to the end, incoming students, freshman to sophomores, sophomores to juniors and juniors to seniors and seniors to adult life. The moving up assembly is an assembly that is put together by teachers and leadership class to show the whole school what is next to come and to show flashbacks from over the recent school year.
Mr. Ballew, a previous leadership teacher who is to this day still involved in setting up the assembly and the activities. Ballew says that something that is so special about the assembly is “’s a cultural rite of passage for the staff and students. It provides some closure to the year and the school’s experience with this particular group of students.” Ballew does a lot of entertaining bits like the senior confessions, staff send off songs ect… His favorite part of the assembly is “the moment after the gauntlet where the seniors are outside and kind of milling about. Everyone is excited, but there’s also a sense of “we’re done.” It’s a unique moment in the school year.” Ballew has a lot planned for the next moving up assembly and plans to make it one of the best yet.
The moving up assembly not only recognizes the seniors for “making it” but it signifies that everyone else has now “Moved Up”. It is a time of reflection, but also a time to look to the future. According to Mr. Klein, a previous leadership teacher he says “I used to be in charge of the whole thing (along with the incoming ASB officers). We planned every aspect of it. From student and staff speakers, performances, skits, sound system, microphones, etc. I tried to be left out of the actual assembly and just in the background supervising the incoming ASB who would emcee it.” During the assembly projects like staff skits and the students moving up a grade really makes the assembly a whole lot more fun and a good way to end the year.
It is important to say goodbye to all the seniors and wish them goodbye but it does take some planning to accomplish the assembly, Mr Davis said “Typically many hours, and speakers will usually do at least 4-8 hours for a speech. The planning starts over a month in advance. The setting up of the assembly also takes some time, making the posters and banners takes a lot of effort.” Mr. Davis doesn’t have a role in the assembly this year but he is excited to see his daughter Grace Davis sing for one last time in her high school career.
The moving up assembly is very important to many seniors and will make them ready to move on from high school, Senior Avah Wagner said “I’m excited for the assembly because it’s just one last opportunity to say goodbye to all the teacher and staff at the school, it will definitely be something we all will remember.”
