“We are so proud of all of you, so pleased with the progress and the outcomes that have been achieved," Superintendent James Ryan said. "There’s nothing like a Pines Bridge graduation.”
All 10 graduates were praised in “Student Spotlights” read by their teachers and given an opportunity to address the audience, some using assistive devices. Pines Bridge is a school for students with multiple disabilities.
Teachers recalled Nicholas Marrone’s quiet demeanor and love of reading, how Daniel McCartney took his first steps using a gait trainer, learned to use an iPad and brought his boisterous personality to school each day.
At the start of the ceremony, Joshua Velez, a graduate, and Alexis Aguiar, whose brother, Casey, was graduating, treated the audience to a rendition of “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”
Parents and friends celebrated the students for reaching many milestones during their years at Pines Bridge, a school for students with multiple disabilities. A video was shown depicting the students as young children and as they are today. In a longstanding tradition, the staff at Pines Bridge used sign language to “sing” the Taylor Hicks song, “Do I Make You Proud.”
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