Lower School students ended their school year with a chapel that celebrated the fourth graders and encouraged all students to support one another with a loving heart and helping hand. The chapel opened with the fourth graders’ favorite song, The Power Shuffle, an interactive song about the power of God in our lives. In an honored Whitefield tradition, representatives from each grade read a letter to the grade below – a fifth-grade representative read to the fourth-grade class, a fourth-grade student read to the third graders, and so on.
The students gave peers special “tips” on how to survive the next year and succeed. Each representative gave a peek into what to expect the following year, and told a few classroom secrets to give their younger peers a leg up. “Work hard. Be respectful. Do your homework.” were reoccurring
themes in each letter, but students also gave their younger peers some great hints on how to impress and woo their teachers. “Miss Lee loves, and I mean LOVES Mountain Dew and the color purple!” “Get Mrs. Dixon some Starburst Chews and she’ll be your friend for life!” “Mrs. Farrar is super patient and will help you with anything!”
As each older student read to the grade below, one couldn’t help but notice the pattern of kindness and encouragement in each letter. “You will do great!” “Welcome to the fifth grade. You’re going to LOVE it!” and “If you feel scared or make a mistake, don’t worry! There are people to help.” were phrases that were repeated often and the caring, loving atmosphere of the Lower School could be felt by all in attendance.
Several fourth-grade students asked to share their testimonies and told stories of God’s faithfulness throughout their years in the Lower School. They told stories of answered prayers, moments of salvation, and how God had become more and more real to them through the years.
At the conclusion of the chapel, Lower School teachers circled around the fourth-grade class and prayed a prayer of protection and blessing over the class. Dr. Ron Farrar welcomed the students to the Middle School, and then escorted them to see their new classrooms for next year.