Congratulations to our eighth-grade Class of 2025!
Twenty-seven students graduated from eighth grade at Saint Joseph School during a May 22 Mass and celebration at St. Joseph Parish in downtown Martinsburg.
Before a crowd of family, friends, school administrators and staff, the students were honored by Principal Maria Byrd and the Rev. Thomas Gallagher, pastor of St. Joseph Parish.
Members of the SJS Class of 2025 are Alaina Ala, Laith Al-Saleh, Adelyn Alter, Isaac Antonetti, Jahziel Araujo-Ramirez, Matthew Billmyer, Grace Derrick, Alexis Dinh, Shayla Do, Camille Frail, Matteo Furman, Gabriela Galicia Ruiz, Noah Harding, Oliver Heng, Henry Hilton, Elianna Kaudy, Franklin Koons, Mia MacDonald, Addison Michael, Nathalie Palma Vasquez, Anna Porplenko, Madison Regalia, Brock Riggleman, Daphne Sama, Jeremiah Simpson II, Samuel Small and Sara Vloedman.
The following subject awards were presented during the graduation ceremony:
Excellent participation and expressive reading: Al-Saleh
Advanced skills and writing technique: Frail
Outstanding achievement in Math 8: Palma Vasquez
Outstanding achievement in Algebra I: Sama
Excellence in physical science: Koons
History: Hilton
Religion: Small
Excellent work and participation in Spanish: Alter
Excellence in art: Ala
STEM: Al-Saleh
Outstanding performance and leadership in show choir: Dinh
Excellence and leadership in choir: Frail
Outstanding musicianship in band: Galicia Ruiz
Outstanding practice and performance in handbells: Alter
Physical education: Billmyer and Vloedman
President’s Award for Educational Excellence (gold medal), for students who earned an 85% or higher on a standardized test in reading or math, and at least a 3.5 grade-point average for all trimesters in sixth and seventh grades, and the fall and winter trimesters of eighth grade: Al-Saleh, Alter, Heng, Koons and Sama
President’s Award for Educational Achievement (silver medal) for students who achieved a 69% or higher on a standardized test in reading or math, and at least a 3.0 GPA for all trimesters in sixth and seventh grades, and the fall and winter trimesters of eighth grade: Antonetti, Derrick, Dinh, Frail, Galicia Ruiz, Harding, Hilton, Kaudy, Porplenko, Simpson, Small and Vloedman
Knights of Columbus Patriotic Service Award: Antonetti
Aquinas Medal: Koons. Named for Saint Thomas Aquinas, the medal is the most prestigious honor a student can receive from the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston. One student at the highest academic grade level at each Catholic school in the diocese is recognized for embodying excellence in learning, faithful discipleship, leadership, and service to school, parish and community.
Nick Antonetti, father of new graduate Isaac, created a slideshow for the eighth-graders, as well as a short special song and video that appeared at the end of it. Enjoy!
