The Class of 2030 marked their transition from middle to high school during a special Moving Up Ceremony held on Thursday, June 4, in the Mother Mary Campion Center for the Performing Arts, in front of faculty, administrators, and families.

Inspired by the lyric “It feels like a party every day” from the Disney television show Jessie, the class selected a theme that celebrated the friendships, memories, and shared experiences that defined their middle school years.

“Maybe that’s the real meaning behind this year’s theme, to enjoy things while they’re happening because someday, they’ll become the moments we miss the most,” said Nyla Smith ’30.

Among the moments that came up repeatedly among the speakers were the class trip to Washington, D.C., lip-sync, and the typical day-to-day life of middle school students at Oak Knoll.

Other speakers looked ahead, noting that this latest milestone is just one of many to come over the next four years of high school and beyond.

“You leave eighth grade not as finished products, but as young women very much in the process of becoming,” said Laura Hollenbaugh, Upper School Division Head.

These sentiments were echoed by Class President Julia McNany ’30 in her opening remarks.

“Whether we are going to high school here, in a different state, or even another country, we will always carry the friendships that we have made,” she said.

A similar message appeared moments later in an original poem written and read by classmate Cali Ang ’30.

“We’ll continue to grow within our community, building new friendships and strengthening old ones,” she wrote.

In all, the ceremony included prayer and scripture, poems and reflections, a touching rendition of “A Million Dreams” from The Greatest Showman, and a singing of the school’s alma mater.

As the Class of 2030 departs for summer and prepares for the next chapter of their Oak Knoll journey, they carry with them the friendships, memories, and spirit that made their middle school years feel like a party every day.