Inspire Us to Our Best: Moving Up Chapels

Inspire Us to Our Best

Taking a line from the school song, "Raise We Our Voices,” division heads and student speakers gave poignant advice during Moving Up Chapels to “inspire us to our best.”

View photos from the year on SmugMug

Remarks to Grade 4 from Lisa Keeler, P. ’15 & ’16, Head of the Lower School

“I want to challenge each of you to do these things: to cherish what has been and to hold space for what will be. To honor all that you’ve accomplished and to remain curious about your next steps. To feel sadness for friends who may be moving away and to make plans for how you will nurture those connections in new ways. Today each of you will receive a gift from the Lower School: a small journal and a pen. I hope you will use it to write about your endings and your beginnings. And off you go to your next beginning!”

Remarks to Grade 8 from Marie Reed, P. ’27 & ’30, Head of the Middle School

“A common criticism of school life is that it isn’t like the real world. And while I agree with this criticism in some aspects, when it comes to living life in a community with one another, there is nothing more real than the time we have spent together this year. This year, we have leaned on each other, celebrated one another, made mistakes, and forgiven one another. Indeed our lives have become intertwined. And so for me, the ending of a school year is always bittersweet, for Moving Up Chapel marks the close of this school community and the beginning of a new one. As Ms. Foster described in last week’s Chapel, ‘Every new beginning requires an ending of some sort.’ Each year, at this moment, I am filled with deep gratitude for the time we have had together.”

Remarks to Grade 12 from Beth Miller, P. ’22 & ’25, Head of the Upper School

“As this year’s seniors emerged from imposed restrictions, they acted like a fire had been lit beneath them. They summoned energy they didn’t know they had, they said ‘yes’ to almost anything, and they showed up in August ready to sing, dance, and shine…In moments of sadness and in joy, these kids came together, connected through their shared experience of St. Anne’s-Belfield School. Class of 2023, you made an impact — on your peers, your teachers, your school, and your community. From beginning to end, you’ve embraced your surroundings and your friends. May images of the sunrise over Room 400, the Learning Village, or your favorite spot in Charlottesville decorate your walls and sit in frames on your bookcases to forever remind you of the beauty of your time together.”