Park Avenue graduates 100+ during annual 4th Grade Moving Up Ceremony

Park Avenue Elementary School held its annual 4th Grade Moving Up Ceremony on June 22, before a packed crowd of proud family, faculty and administration gathered inside the auditorium at Warwick Valley High School!

More than 100 students earned their fourth grade certificates during the hour-long ceremony that opened with a performance of the songe Try Everything, performed by the 4th grade chorus under the direction of music teacher Ashley Head. Following the performance, Park Avenue principal Bill Biniaris welcomed all of the guests, expressing heartfelt appreciation for their ongoing support and for being there to celebrate their students' growth and milestone.

_{See a gallery from the event below this story!}

“Whether you're a parent, a grandparent, uncle, or aunt, I know how special it is to watch these children behind me grow in physical stature, in age, but also in maturity. Thank you so much for being here today, and thank you for your constant support.”

Addressing the graduating class, Mr. Biniaris encouraged the students to embrace the challenges ahead.

“Consistently deciding to show up as the best you, even when things aren’t going perfectly, will shape you to be resilient, disciplined, positive, and even hopeful people. And these traits will fuel your ability to engage with your school and your community, to find solutions to real problems, to work better with others, and to develop a desire to keep learning and growing. With the support of your families and your teachers, I know you are up to this task—so go forward and enjoy the ride!”

Next, it was time to present three New York State awards. The NYS Comptroller's Award for academic achievement and leadership performance was presented to Macie Fisher and Ethan Vallejo. The NYS Attorney General's Triple C Award for commitment, character, and courage was presented to Evelyn Spear, Grace Calabro, and Breanna O'Neill. The NYS Attorney General's Civic Ambassador Award for passion and knowledge of civics and government was presented to Lucas Ramsey.

Awards specific to Park Aevnue's ROAR program (Respect. Outstanding Choices. Acceptance, & Responsibility) were handed out next by elementary guidance counselor Jeannette Myrick. Two students from each class were chosen to receive these awards, recognizing them for exhibiting ROAR behaviors at school. From Julie Hornbeck's class, Declan Green and Cassidy Hurtado. From Amanda Kowalczyk's class, Robert Pagan and Penelope Scott. From Rose Anne Kuzmiak's class, Benjamin Dolis and Liliana LaConti. From Inga Mezzetti's class, Steven Rivera Angel and Mila Hayek. And from Gabe Perez's class, George Foy and Eva Rodriguez.

Fourth-grade class speaker Macie Fisher was up next, and reflected on her and her classmates’ unique journey.

“It all started out at Pine Island Elementary for our kindergarten year,” she shared. "We got a year together with the Sanfordville kids, which doesn't usually happen. We had the whole school just for us, and it was special!”

Then she recounted the challenges of adjusting to Park Avenue, where her class met so many new teachers and students, who soon became friends, and quickly settled into four years of enjoying their classes and activities like Park-a-palooza, STEM Fairs, and so many great field trips.

“We are grateful for our teachers and staff who helped us along the way. They encouraged us when work was hard, made learning fun, and were always kind when we needed it,” Macie said. She wrapped up her address saying she knows her classmates will continue to support one another at the middle school, and that she's looking forward to reconnecting with their old Sanfordville friends, and making even more new ones.

“Congratulations, everyone, and have a great summer,” she concluded.

Before each teacher approached the podium to read a list of their graduates and present their certificates, two members of the Park Avenue Student Council, Ethan Vallejo and Stella Piascik, presented the annual class gift. This year, the class representatives said, they wanted to make the class gift something that the teachers who meant so much to their elementary journey could enjoy every day. They presented the school with a brand-new refrigerator for the faculty and staff lounge.

Join us in congratulating the Park Avenue class of 2026!

Ms. Mezzetti's Class

• Harper Burke
• Kayla Diaz
• Joseph Donnelly
• Emilie Hasbrouck
• Mila Hayek
• Emerson Hayes
• David MacFarlane
• Andres Morales Garcia
• Aliana Normandia
• Breanna O'Neill
• Kylie Perez Rosas
• Jayline Perez Trinidad
• Asher Pope
• Steven Rivera-Angel
• Edgar Rosario Arias
• Kali Smith
• Carmine Spadaccini
• Juniper Spicehandler
• Hope Stewart
• Evelyn Trass
• Brandon Verrico

Ms. Hornbeck's Class

• Lillyrose Balaj
• Russell Brentnall
• Hannah Bricks
• Teagan Crandall
• Annaliese Garcia
• Logan Garcia
• Declan Green
• Carter Hagan
• Adeline Haggerty
• Cassidy Hurtado
• Leighton Monahan
• Paul Montali
• Stella Piascik
• Theodore Pierre
• Aidan Prodigo
• Jaelyn Ramirez
• Jacob Silverman
• Lucas Somelofski
• Ava Spadaccini
• Evelyn Spear
• Arden Young

Ms. Kowalczyk's Class

• Daniel Amberger
• Louis Bourdet
• Charlotte Brazier
• Lucy Butler
• Grace Calabro
• Jakobi Christian
• Lucas DeYoung
• Josephine DiMaria
• Simone Goldstein
• Kinsley Kendrick
• Riley Lipari
• Tessa Mackey
• Alison Mighty
• Ryan Oo
• Robert Pagan
• Paolo Petersen
• Lucas Ramsey
• Penelope Scott
• Iliane Seid
• Cameron Tablante
• Kyrie Washington

Ms. Kuzmiak's Class

• Devin Alfonzo-Bruno
• Sophia Ambrosio Christian Carrasquillo
• Sadie Corcoran
• Mackenzie Correll
• Benjamin Dolis
• Macie Fisher
• Vivienne Flood
• Sofia Gadea
• Amari Garner
• Cassandra Goldstein
• Saoirse Green
• Jacob Heim
• William Henley
• Eriifeoluwa Ilori
• Liliana LaConti
• Van O'Byrne
• Yasmin Rutkevitz
• Hardev Singh
• Noah Woloski
• Mariam Zaitoun

Mr. Perez's Class

• Vincenzo Amoresano
• Samantha Brown
• Olivia Butler
• Lucy Carillo
• Aiden Clay
• Dominic Costanza
• Matteo Crisano
• Noah Curran
• Kate Ellsworth
• George Foy III
• Carlin Gillen
• Rebekah Hidalgo
• Rylee Martinez
• Reese Melvin
• Aaron Montalvo
• Finn Riehle
• Eva Rodriguez
• Liana Soto
• Charles Valentino
• Ethan Vallejo
• Bria Vargas