Zachary Z., Bishop Hamilton Graduate (2024)

Quite a while ago a child who could barely think at that time appeared in BHMS. If you couldn’t guess, that child was me. Hello, my name is Zachary and I’ve been at BHMS for a really long time. 

I don’t really remember much from Toddler to Casa except for the fact that I was really good at holding the dustbin. I remember a decent amount from Junior Elementary, like the time we did the thing with the volcano but the best part of Junior Elementary is a tie between taking the rabbit home or graduation. 

There were a few things that I really liked about Red Oak first was the medieval family tree assignment, it was really fun even though we never really completed it, second, the heliocentrism thing was also really fun but what sets it apart from the medieval family thing was that I actually completed it, it was super awesome! 

Now it’s Junior High time, and adjusting to Junior High was a bit difficult. It was mostly due to the absence of a rack and tubes. For those who don’t know, racks and tubes are something that helps you with division. I was doing division just fine without racks and tubes, but racks and tubes were really fun to use. 

In Junior High, the first really different thing we did was the canoe trip. On the first two days, I was as good as dead, but on the others, I was slightly less dead than before. Also, there was rain.The next thing I want to talk about is the French trip, the French trip was way less tiring than the canoe trip, but that just means more energy to speak French like how I’m going to do for the next five sentences. 

Le voyage en français était donc bien plus agréable que le voyage en canoë, principalement à cause de l’absence de moustiques. Pendant le voyage en français, en gros, nous nous promenions et faisions des trucs sympas, mais c’était pour le premier, lors du deuxième voyage, les choses étaient beaucoup plus intéressantes. Tout d’abord, lors de la première activité que nous avons faite, j’ai été trahi par quelqu’un que je ne nommerai pas et à cause de cela, j’ai obtenu la quatrième place, j’aurais eu la deuxième place sans cela. deuxièmement, pendant le voyage, il y a eu plus de dialogue que l’année dernière malgré le fait qu’il y avait moins de monde, et à cause de cela, les gens en ont dit plus, et parce que les gens en ont dit plus, nous avons créé le mot “majestical”, maintenant pourquoi pensez-vous que c’est un mot sympa, eh bien vous ne le feriez pas parce que vous ne l’avez pas créé, mais maintenant, c’est devenu un incontournable au collège, si un aliment de base avait la force d’une guimauve à moitié fondue. et enfin et surtout, la boule de métal, la boule de métal c’était génial, c’était super cool, il fallait être là. That was a lot of French. 

Anyway, the bike trip was wild with all the biking. Ms. Flindall said the first day is always the hardest day of the bike trip, but I disagree strongly. I personally thought the first day wasn’t so bad but the second day was like I was in a pit that’s slowly being filled with acid. 

So in Amherst, Ms. Sasouni was cooking dinner for us and I got to cut watermelon so I had an idea. This wouldn’t have worked if I was paired with anyone else aside from the person I was paired with. I decided to express my creativity not in the medium of words, but in sculpture carving! Here are some reviews from customers: “WHAT IS THAT”, “HAHAHAHAHAHA”, and “I AM NOT EATING THAT”.  

So that takes us to this week, in which nothing really happened. When I look back at my life I ask myself “Why, just why”, and my answer is always the same “Because I wanted to”. This 13 – 14 % of my yearly life was half enjoyable with a mediocre to a good experience for me at least. I’d like to thank my mom for helping me not die when I was dying that one time and for providing me with the proper supplies. I’d also like to thank my teachers for y’know, teaching me. I’d also like to thank my friends because if I had no friends school would’ve been a lot harder.

Matei C., Bishop Hamilton Graduate (2023)

“I’ve been going to BHMS since before I can even remember. My first memories, and some of my best memories have been at this school. You know, I remember when I was a toddler I was sitting alone outside, nervous to talk to others, but then a kid sat next to me and we started to talk and have fun. His name was Thomas. Turns out he’s still my friend to this very day. This is one of the many connections and friendships I’ve made at this school that will last a lifetime. To me, it’s clear that BHMS has prepared me for the future and shaped me into who I am today. I thought that at this time in my life I would be scared to go to High School, but instead, using what I was taught during my time in BHMS, I know I will be ready for whatever challenges come my way. I’m very grateful for the experiences I’ve had here. I guess when you think about it, going to this school is a huge privilege. Instead of going to a normal public school, my parents gave me the gift of going to a school where I would be taught by excellent teachers, and be able to go on amazing class trips. The canoe and especially the bike trip taught me to push myself and keep going when things get tough. 

Mais, Madame Robard m’a appris à travers le voyage à Montréal et à Québec comment être plus indépendant. Bien sûr, elle l’a fait tout en nous enseignant un excellent français. Finally, I would like to thank all of my teachers throughout the years, Mrs. Sasouni, and of course my parents. Although I will be leaving the school, the lessons and adventures I’ve had here will always be a part of me.”

Alyssa S., Bishop Hamilton Graduate (2022)

“I’ve been at this school since I was 16 months old! I’m almost 14 now, so I’ve been here for around 12 years. I’ve actually been here longer than Mrs. Sasouni, so I’m just saying Not as long as Ms. Flindall though! I know a lot of graduates say this, but Bishop Hamilton really is my second home. I’ve learned and grown so much here; I really couldn’t have asked for anything better.

I feel ready for high school, not only academically, but also emotionally and mentally. Sure, BHMS has taught me how to do Math, English, Science, whatever. But most importantly, this school has built up my character. You can send your kids to tutoring, or some elite school, but if they don’t help your child become a better person, there’s not really a point. I’m so glad that my parents sent me here and that I had the opportunity to grow and flourish here! 

The environment here is really amazing, the teachers are fantastic, the students are awesome, they make really good friends, and the community makes you feel safe. The past three years have been quite rough with COVID and all, but thanks to all the amazing teachers, we were able to do trips, like the Canoe Trip, Bike Trip, Montreal Trip, that I didn’t think would happen. I want to say thank you to all the teachers. 

Madame Robard, merci de nous avoir enseigner le français pendant plusieurs d’années. Vous êtes la meilleure professeure de français que je puisse demander. Ms. Brown, thank you for these past few years and for always making music class fun. You always put in so much effort into every concert, play, or musical we do and they’re always a ton of fun! Mr. D, I’m so glad I got to meet you this year! You always bring a positive energy to every class you teach, you’re super funny and always have a smile on your face, even if it’s under that mask! I love your hats too! Mr. MacKay, thank you for being an awesome teacher. You have amazing jokes, and make classes fun! Thank you for being there the past two years. Ms. Flindall thank you for being there for me these past two years. You’ve taught me so much, not only academically but about myself. 

Mrs. Sasouni, thank you for being an amazing Principal, and for teaching me how to eat a pita wrap properly. Also thank you for putting up with me when I end up in your office a few to many times. To my past teachers, thank you for helping me grow into the person I am today. And to my parents, thank you for paying for my tuition, even though all that money could have bought us a new car! I wish all my fellow classmates the best of luck! May all of you be successful in your futures and whatever paths you will go down.  Thank you again, to everyone who made it possible for me to get this far.”