Commencement Address by Supt. Mike Faulk: Oh Glorious Day

Central High School Graduation ceremonies, May 23, 2011, before 4,000 attendees

By Supt. Mike Faulk, Central Community School System

It is an honor and a privilege to join you this evening and share in your celebration.  Many parents, friends, and relatives have come together for this long awaited moment — your graduation from Central High School.

Before I offer my remarks to the seniors and our guests this evening I would like to introduce to you the members of the Central Community School Board.  After I have completed my introduction, I would like to ask for a show of appreciation for the leadership they provide for our school system.

District 1 — Mr. Jim Lloyd; District 2 — Ms. Roxanne Atkinson; District 3 — Dr. David Walker; District 4 — Mr. Willard Easley, Vice President; District 5 — Dr. James Gardner, President; District 6 — Ms. Ruby Foil, and District 7 — Ms. Sharon Browning.

Now, take a moment with me and look back…

On the front page of a local newspaper was the picture of a glorious sunrise.  The caption in that picture was “Oh Glorious Day!”

Psalm 118:24 was quoted.  That verse of scripture reads:  “This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

That day was Aug. 13, 2007, the day when the Central Community School System officially began its first school year and the operation of our schools under our leadership and not someone else’s.

On the first day around 6 a.m., our first student arrived on the campus of Central High School — even before the principal, Mr. Ronnie Devall, showed up for work.

That student was 15-year-old Rachael Walden.

Ladies and gentlemen, tonight Rachael is a part of the graduating Class of 2011!  Rachael would you please stand!

Now graduating along with Rachael are all of the other incoming Central High freshmen of the 2007-2008 school year.  I would like to ask all of the students who are in our graduating class tonight and who were freshmen at Central High School during the 2007-2008 school year to please stand.

This will be the first graduating class of the Central Community School System, which contains students who have attended Central High School every year we have been our own school system.

We have accomplished much during these four years.

The accomplishments have been a result of the outstanding young people we have in our school system, the highly-qualified and dedicated staff we have working in our school system and the tremendous support we receive from every part of our community.

The accomplishments of the senior Class of 2011 are many from athletics to academics.

Tonight, I want to briefly outline some of the academic achievements of our students at Central High School:

• 79 college hours earned through Advanced Placement classes.  The results are still coming in, and we expect the number to continue to increase.  I would ask at this time students who earned college hours through Advance Placement classes to please stand.

• 279 college hours earned through dual enrollment classes at Central High School, Baton Rouge Community College, or Capital Area Technical Colleges.  I would ask that these students please stand.

Additionally, college credits can be earned by taking spring tests on college campuses.

Central High School was recognized by LSU as one of the top 20 high schools in the state for having students that earned the most credit in their Spring Invitational advanced-standing exams.  I would ask these students to please stand.

• 151 students received Industry Based Certifications in welding, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel applications, and the Customer Service and Retail Professionals areas.  I would ask these students to please stand.

All of this has been accomplished with little or no cost to the parents.

Additionally, we have a number of young men in the graduating class who have attained Eagle Scout status.  Would you please stand?

Seniors, as you move forward with many accomplishments under your belt, remember the hard work you put in over the last four years to achieve these milestones in your life.

The Central Community School System and the graduating Class of 2011 have come a long way in four years.  The next journey that you and the school system will embark on will require just as much hard work — if not more — if you and we are to continue to be successful.

As a school system, we still have to work at building educational programs and developing a culture of excellence in all areas with high expectations of students, staff members, and program achievements.

We believe that you can and will be successful in the next phases of your life, and we believe that our school system will be successful in addressing the next level of its development.

Seniors, we wish you success in the future and may God bless you and your families this special evening!