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We could all learn something from newly minted lower school graduates, members of the Class of 2019. When polled for advice, they had much to offer.

"Say 'thank you' to your parents all the time."

"If someone dislikes you but wants to be your friend ‘cause you give them stuff, get new friends."

"Most of the time you should be mature, but 25% of the time, be a goof!"

Head of Lower School Noreen Lidston shared graduates' wisdom, as well as their favorite memories, during the Lower School Closing Ceremony on June 3 at Childs Memorial Terrace.

The event celebrated the promotion of the Class of 2019 to middle school. Each received a certificate from Headmaster Charlie Britton, as younger students, teachers, and family looked on.

Here's more from the Class of 2013:

• Make sure to get a lot of sleep and eat a good meal in the morning
• Try new things.
• Study for Spanish; you’ll get good grades.
• Keep your head high even when times are tough.
• Believe in yourself and others.
• Don’t talk back.
• Don’t moan when you don’t want to do something.
• Wear warm clothes on the campout and on the sailing trip. There’s no heat on a boat.
• Try to challenge yourself.
• If you forget to bring your homework or forget to do it, don’t worry. Your teacher will understand.
• Always keep your desk clean, because you lose a lot of things.
• Always have an extra pair of clothes. (You do not know what will happen.)
• Make sure you pay attention, or you’ll have no idea what to do.
• Expect hard work; don’t expect to be perfect.
• Think before you do something.
• Don’t be so competitive; loosen up and relax.
• Don’t eat 10 tacos at lunch. You will throw up.
• Listen to the teachers; what they say sometimes really matters.
• Don’t get caught in other people’s drama – just step away.
• If someone says you can’t, don’t listen to them. Just keep trying.
• Be kind to everyone, even if they’re not being kind to you.
Cover yourself with your blazer at the aquarium. You’ll get wet at the dolphin show.
• Read all year around, so when you have to read for school, it isn’t that much of a pain.

The rising fifth graders also had favorite memories to share. Among them: the camp out – a lot of fun things fit into two days,reading lots of good books, reading buddies, sailing under the Key Bridge on our sailing trip, St. Mary’s trip in semond grade, Pourquoi Tales play, Video Class, Play Day, making a giant beach fort in kindergarten, Math Carnival, Ms. Hailstone running into the back room when the giant spiders appeared in the Harry Potter movie, problem solving, the shoeshine stand in third grade, Pumpkin Chunkin, getting 100% on a math test for the first time because I studied a lot!, making pudding in kindergarten (We put it in a Ziploc bag, then cut off the corner and ate it through the hole)throwing a surprise party for Mr. Webb and attacking him with balloons, the first day of Chess Club--even the walk there was fun.

If you ask the new fifth graders what their favorite memory is now, they might tell you that it was tossing their blazers in the air at the end of the closing ceremony. "We even got them stuck in the tree!"