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Holmen High School students at the 2008 Renaissance Academic Assembly closed out the school year with a roaring tribute to students and faculty last Friday.
Mike Deml, Justin DeFlorian and Sam Connell emceed the event and kept the kids cheering with a program that included everyone having a chance to march across the stage as well as live music, comedy and video.
Recognized for their achievements throughout the year were students involved in academic activities such as Quiz Bowl, National Honor Society, Wis. Gymnastics Academic All-State and Skills USA.
Language students receiving recognition were those involved in French Speaking contest, French National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society and Forensics.
Extra Effort recognition was presented for those involved in Special Olympics, FFA, DECA, National History Day, Battle of the Books, Federal Duck Award Stamp contest, Chamber of Commerce and Community Volunteer Award winners. The orchestra, band and vocal students were recognized as well as those who raised their G.P.A. by at least .5 points throughout the year.
Mixed throughout each of the groups being recognized marching across the stage, there were scavenger hunts, live singing from Megan Richason, banjo playing by Austin Mahlum, dancing by Branica Xiong, Nuku Vang and Malay Yang, and Jordan Weibel providing comedy about his favorite teacher. All the Renaissance students had a chance to cross the stage as each class group was called.
Students recognized retiring teacher Ms. Johnson and Bernie Ferry with Megan Rinehart singing a tribute to Johnson and Ferry while a video of snapshots rolled on the screen. While the students wanted Ferry to do his famous River Dance routine one last time, he didn’t oblige them.
That dance was one of the items on the top-10 list of things students will remember him by:
10. He pulled off wearing a gray sport coat like no one they had ever seen,
9. He was the National Renaissance Coordinator for 2007,
8. He was Jon Paudler’s principal, a feat in itself,
7. He was the biggest ‘metal-head’ in the school. He’s been to literally dozens of Metallica concerts,
6. He was all-conference honorable mention as underwater bucket weaver,
5. He is the No. 1 coolest people of all time, beating out Weird Al Yankovic,
4. He has the best River Dance routine ever,
3. His Iowa accent,
2. His sneakiness: He’s stealthy. He can be in the back of the classroom — literally no one saw him come in, and
1. His unprecedented passion for for each and every person in this room. A great principal and a great man.
To the chant of “Four more years!” the students presented Ferry with a $130 worth of gift certificates that included a 10-session tanning package, two rounds of nine-hole golf at Coulee Golf Bowl, $10 for Carlos O’Kelly’s and two eighteen-hole rounds of golf at Cedar Creek golf course.
Cheryl Hancock, President of the Holmen School Board, closed the show by reading a board proclamation that the fieldhouse was now named the Bernie Ferry Fieldhouse.
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