FALLS VILLAGE – With just two graduating eighth graders – Sophia Lynn Dudley and Edith Louise Losh – the Lee H. Kellogg Class of 2026 was small in number but left a lasting impression on the school, a sentiment that echoed throughout the graduation ceremony Tuesday, June 16.
Principal Andrew Deacon said when he took over in the middle of the academic year, he turned to the two students for advice.
“I could not have asked for two better leaders,” he said. “Instead of guiding them, they guided me. Their leadership, heart and unique spirit filled the building.”
The students also reflected on their time at Lee H. Kellogg school.
Dudley said that while her time at the school is ending, she will carry her experience with her.
“I will never have to say goodbye to my memories,” she said.
She recalled how her friendship with classmate Losh grew over the years, even when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted their second grade year with remote learning.
“It was a difficult change for our teachers and our friends but we made it through,” she said.
Her final piece of advice for younger students was to “slow down, look around, appreciate what life has to offer.”
Patrick L. Sullivan
Losh said she also cherishes the memories and the stories that go with them, and looks forward to her next academic adventure.
“I feel ready to make more memories into stories in high school,” she said. “You all have a chapter in my book.”
Both students received the Peter G. Lawson Citizenship Award. First Selectman David Barger praised the pair for their “dedication to the community in quiet and insightful ways.”
English teacher Christine Dascanio praised the students' selfless spirits and relayed a joke about the pair.
“We can’t be a sandwich because there’s nothing between us!”
Dudley won the Superintendent’s Award, Losh won the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education Leadership Award, and they both won the Presidential Award of Educational Excellence.
