Leaving St.Mary's..

I moved here going into fourth grade, and have been going to St.Mary's ever since. I admit, there have been many times that I have thought, if I hadn't moved here this terrible thing would have never happened. St. Mary's made me grow into a different person. I also think about all those great times that I have had; most of those times take place in St.Mary's. I have made great friends that I hope I will keep close forever. This school is small, that has its advantages and disadvantages. A fantastic thing about that is that you know everyone, you know their families and their worries, their hopes and dreams. I hope when we all go on to high school, that we still remember what good times we had together, and that will keep us close. The teachers here have done so much for me; they have taught me great skills academically and also, in my faith. Mrs. Stewart taught me how to solve problems on my own and figure things out, she also taught me respect. Mrs. Slotsve taught me that I should study more.(: She taught me that hard work does pay off. She taught me that even when you feel like falling down, there are people there to pick you up and love you. Mrs. Nylund helped my English and writing skills improve dramatically; she made me feel that she cared about the work I did, and that made me want to impress her and work harder on papers and projects. Mrs. Berg taught me so many great things that I should pay attention to when online and also while working on projects involving technology. She most of all taught me responsibility. Mr. Smith has been an important part of my time at St. Mary's; he is a big reason that I have grown closer to God over the past couple of years. He has showed me that there are other views than your own, and made me realize that I should pay attention to other's opinions and choices. Then, there is Mrs. Elsner, who got me through what seemed like the toughest of times. She has given me the best of advice and made me realize the most important things in life; to appreciate the great things you have.  I want to say thank you to all of these great teachers that have played an important role in my life. It saddens me to think that I will not be walking down these same halls next year; that I will not be dancing in the same locker room. This school gave me the opportunity to not only learn about Christ, but know what it means to be loved by God and hope that someday you can love Him just as much. Mrs. Elsner and I were talking about what it will be like to go to Heaven once. She brought up an interesting point that will never leave my mind, the fact that one day you will be standing in front of God, both of you knowing that you have done wrong, and He still loves you. I imagine feeling awful, just aching inside, and wondering what I was thinking, why I did what I have done. Out of all the failures and faults you have done, He still loves you. This is one of the greatest things I have learned. I hope I am missed from St. Mary's, because I know for a fact, that I will miss you.