Page 172 - 2004 Wardlaw Hartridge

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Jane G reg
"L IF E R "... one who has been attending the Wardlaw-Hartridge School for 13 years.
But being a lifer is not just the reality of the thirteen years spent at The Wardlaw-Hartridge School, it is also the appreciation of all the memo­ ries we will take away from our experiences here together.
From our early years at the Plainfield
campus to the hallways of the Upper School, the memories are bountiful and fond. Do you remember our first day of kindergarten? The first time we wore uniforms? How about all those field trips to the apple orchards and pumpkin patches? A n d who can forget F ield D ay, the green against the gold? These are just a few of the highlights we experienced in the Lower School. But more importantly are the memories of our teachers being there to greet you every morning. A n d thankfully they were always there to make sure that we had everything before we le ft
for home. From Mrs. Kail's versus Mrs. McNish's class soccer games, to Mrs. Sheedy's family stories,
to Mrs. Ritz's and Mrs. Dreier'sfourth grade trip to Waterloo Village, there was never a dull day in the Lower School
Then we were off to Middle School which brought us new freedoms, like having a different teacher for
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Jordan
each subject, our own lockers, overnight trips, new friends, and being able to play on a sports team. Who can forget our excursion to Cape Cod and whale watching? Williamsburgand thecandy shop?Washington D C and the "Shear Madness" show? But with more freedom came more responsibility and Mr.Dodd, Ms. Philips, Mr. Gorham,and Mr.Vozar were
just a few of the teachers that we befriended along this path.
A fter three years of learning to use these freedoms wisely, we were off to theUpper School,which meantmore home­ work, laptops, electives and project agora. We were finallyable toexperience certain teachers we had heard about for years first hand. But Upper School wasn't all work and no play! We also had clubs, varsity sports, a dress code instead of a uniform, morning meeting, and more new facesto befriend.
Some people may see thirteen years in one place as acurse or a detriment But there is something rather reassuring about knowing what is around the comer and what isexpected of you.Rather than succumbing to the norm, yourise to the occasion. B ut most importantly, the five of us haveshared something together for thirteenyears that goesbeyond
friendship that will last us for life.
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