The first graduating class at St. Francis of Assisi Academy deserves a nice break this summer after three years of being leaders in the school.
“I’m very proud of our graduating class,” said graduand Cassie Willoughby after a mass recognizing the approximately 55 Grade 9 students on June 6. “I have been crying all day, I am so sad to leave the teachers and all the staff here.”
Willoughby and Misael Sedano have been part of the group of oldest students at St. Francis, which opened in the Davisburg right next to the Scott Seaman Sports Rink as a kindergarten to Grade 7 school in the fall of 2016.
Despite all of the students coming from a variety of schools in 2016, they came together like a country rooting as one for an NBA championship team.
“We all bonded as soon as we got here and we have been a super-tight group,” Willoughby said.
Sedano, who came from Millarville School for Grade 7, said there were just a handful of students from his community when he came to St. Francis.
“I was glad that I knew some people, but everybody just fitted right in, and we’re still close friends,” Sedano said.
He added he’s enjoyed being among the oldest students for the past three years.
“It gives you a bit of maturity, teachers always reminding you are the oldest,” Sedano said. “You have to do good things so the little kids know what to do — you have to be a good role model.”
Willoughby agreed.
“I really enjoyed being the oldest, I enjoyed getting to know the little kids in elementary,” she said.
The school has grown with the students.
“When we first got here, the new media and cooking classes were super-small, it was good to see more people in them later, “Sedano said.
Willoughby said back in 2016, that first Grade 7 class, “test drove all the options.
“We have two food classes now, photography and we started a drama program in Grade 8.”
The St. Francis Academy Class of 2019 bonded together to help those not as fortunate after the mass on June 6.
They made approximately 1,050 sandwiches for the Sandwich Foundation, to help feed the homeless in Calgary.
“It’s kind of our ‘going away’ community project,” Sedano said.
The graduating community project will become a tradition in the school.
St. Francis of Assisi Academy principal Diana Atkinson said the class took on the leadership role right from Day 1 in the fall of 2016.
“It is so neat to see their growth over the last three years and just the community they have built together,” Atkinson said. “They were the pioneers being the first one’s to go through. We wanted to make sure they felt like junior high students and I think we were able to that…I feel extremely proud that they are ready to go to high school.”
Sedano will miss St. Francis Academy, but he’s ready for high school at Holy Trinity Academy.
“I want to go, but it’s kind of scary,” he said.
