Moving on from Maria Regina

Eighth graders at Maria Regina are moving on from the school they attended since they were 3 and 4 years old. With high school around the corner, students reminisced of their days here as they readied to walk the stage on June 10.

“I’ve been here since nursery, so this is all I’ve known my entire life,” said Grace Mohlin, 14, of Massapequa.

Grace’s classmates, including Joseph Giglio, James Mamouzelos, Vincent Randazzo and Bridget Harrington, have also attended since nursery or pre-K. “It’s really a family here,” she said.

The group of five agreed that they will miss the people most. From staff members to teachers to their fellow peers, students are still processing the fact that they’ve said many final goodbyes.

“We’re never going to see the people who work in the cafeteria again,” said Joseph, 14, of Massapequa Park. He recalled the pleasant way the cafeteria workers greeted him every day at lunchtime.

“I’m happy to be leaving math, but I don’t want to leave my classmates,” added Bridget, 13, of Seaford.

Luckily, their last school year at Maria Regina was packed with events and memories with their friends. In November, the students saw “Wicked” on Broadway. James, 14, of Seaford, said he and a few others went to the old Toys ‘R’ Us in the city and John’s Pizzeria before the show.

“The pizzeria used to be a church,” he said. “It had nice, stained-glass windows.”

In May, the eighth-grade class went on a retreat to Our Lady of the Island in Manorville, where they attended a sermon and went hiking. Earlier in the month, they also went to a Mets game. “We had great seats!” Grace said. “We really did a lot this year.”

The end-of-year events kept rolling as the year came to a close. The students went to Dorney Park in Pennsylvania on May 31. They had their eighth-grade dance at Royal Palm in Farmingdale on June 2. The week ended off with a yearbook signing at the school on June 3.

Many of their favorite memories, however, happened when they were younger.

James’ favorite memory was participating in field days when they were in the lower grades. On field day, the gym was packed with students wearing blue and gold T-shirts competing in various games. They signed the each other’s shirts and got all sorts of prizes like water bottles, pencils and hats. “It was a fierce competition,” James said.

He also recalled excitedly watching the eighth graders run through a banner to make their entrance into the gym. When it was their turn, though, the excitement had faded. Bridget agreed that this was one of those things that looked so awesome when they were younger, but now was no big deal.

Vincent, 14, of Massapequa, said his favorite memory was the production of “Wizard of Oz.” He played the Cowardly Lion. “I formed closer relationships with the people I knew already,” he said. “It was really fun.”

Grace also enjoyed acting in the school’s plays. Her favorite memories were playing a tea cup in “Beauty and the Beast” and Chef Luis in “The Little Mermaid.”

With all of these good times at Maria Regina now at an end, the students have no choice but to look to the future: high school. “It’s a big change for all of us,” Grace said.

They are excited to play school sports and have lockers. Grace and Bridget will attend Our Lady of Mercy Academy in Syosset. They both look forward to the school’s Sports Nights and dances. Grace plans to join the cross-country team, as well. The students agreed that having school sports is an exciting part of their future.

“I want something different, and I can’t wait to meet new people,” James said.

James and Joseph will attend St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip. Vincent will go to Chaminade High School in Mineola. They are not feeling nerves, but are prepared for the road ahead.

“I’m not really nervous about it,” Bridget said. “I’m ready to move on.”