Jen Schuckman Encourages Rams to Take in their Moment at Eight Grade Celebration

Jen Schuckman, Head of Middle School, presented at the Class of 2030’s Eighth Grade Celebration on Thursday, May 28, 2026. She encouraged everyone to pause and take in the present moment as they complete Middle School at MICDS. Enjoy her remarks below!

Welcome, families, and congratulations to the Class of 2030 as you complete your Middle School chapter!

Before sharing a few remarks, it is my honor to take this opportunity to recognize one of our faculty members on behalf of the class. Each year, the eighth grade votes for the Duncan Award, which is presented to a Middle School faculty member whose hard work, determination, and selfless giving challenge students to strive for excellence and achieve their full potential. The Class of 2030 has chosen Dr. Kris Sontheimer, Middle School Science Teacher, as this year’s recipient.

As we all move through the hectic days of life, it is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day. What’s on the calendar? Do we have a plan for dinner? If it’s raining, do we still have practice? Did I forget to do something for homework? On and on it goes—the running checklist that takes you from your morning alarm to bedtime. Often, it is a sprint from start to finish, and you are just happy for the day to end and for the stillness to wash over you. 

But occasions such as this deserve much more—a pronounced pause, a heightened focus, a collective deep breath—to properly acknowledge what has been accomplished by these lovely young adults. Over the course of your Middle School years, you have transformed from little kids on the playground to poised, productive, independent learners and thinkers. You have pushed yourself beyond capacity, you have found what makes your heart happy, and you have crafted the legacy of this class, built with compassion, strength, and fierce advocacy for doing what is right. 

Parents, grandparents, siblings, family members, faculty—aren’t we just the luckiest? We have had the privilege of holding a backstage pass to the transformation of this amazing group. We have witnessed them navigating all of the turmoil, tears, and triumphs of the middle school years, and they have done this with profound grace and extraordinary determination. Was it easy? Of course not, but that is what makes today worth celebrating.

So I ask everyone to pause—to really pause—and take in our moment. Forget about what is coming next. Don’t worry about hurrying to the dance tonight or what you have planned for the summer, or even what next year will bring. Take note of exactly how you are feeling right now. Who is here celebrating with you tonight? What are you most proud of? What makes you smile right now? Who are your best friends? What are you most grateful for? I hope that you will lock in this moment, snap the mental picture, freeze the frame. In the words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” 

And so, Class of 2030, you are off to your next great adventure, the next book in the series, the next inning of the game…

You leave our hearts full as you head north. Please take good care of one another and keep sacred the legacy that you have built together. Do the right thing…