Astounding assembly: CMS reaches new heights

PALMER — Colony Middle School started the school year by committing to what they wanted to accomplish over the next year. Energized by a rousing assembly, which called students in various ways to “Go Higher,” the school’s 2018 motto, students left empowered and spent part of the day on Aug. 30 putting their commitments onto paper.

The assembly was led off by the Colony Middle School cheerleaders, who, with only three days of practice, performed a flawless routine. Next up on the microphone was motivational speaker Donteh Devoe.

Devoe spoke on the last day of school in the spring semester, and will return twice during this school year to meet and interact with the students. Principal Mary Fulp wrangled the help of some of her former students, Grace Bethel and her son, Patrick McMahon, to help energize the student body. She also called on friend and teacher Kevin Zagyva.

“I’m going to help the sixth graders get to class and help them open their locker. I will help my friends with problems .I will strive to be my personal best, do my homework, and achieve my dreams,” wrote one eighth grader.

“I will be the kindest I can be. I will be respectful and always take responsibility for what I’ve done,” wrote one seventh grader.

While Devoe may have headlined the hour-long assembly, he was not the act that brought the house down. There were a couple of those. Fulp was disguised in costume, wearing a hooded sweatshirt over a black dress. After Devoe had finished part of his motivational speech, Fulp shedded the hoodie and joined one of her former students in the back of the gym, both with matching dresses and microphones. Fulp stood next to her former student, Bethel. The two are different ages and come from different backgrounds, but stood side by side to sing for the students. Bethel stole the show, hitting the high notes with ease and evoking applause from the school she used to attend. The duo had only one night of practice between them before they performed at the assembly. Also thrown into the performance were dancers, making their way across the gym floor to perform for their peers.

“You have a platform at our school to share your talent,” Fulp said to her students.

Then Fulp brought forward Zagyva , who was diagnosed with stage four, incurable cancer in 2016. He continues to teach whenever he is healthy enough to do so. Zagyva taught for 12 years full-time before the diagnosis. Fulp told Zagyva in front of the students that they were blessed by his presence and gave Zagyva an honorary key to the school so that he could always come back and be with them. Fulp brought him to the center of the gym to speak with her and Devoe.

“He has inspired all of us how to live, truly live… He’s inspired me to be such an incredible human being because of the way he lives and gives back,” said Fulp.

Zagyva, clearly emotional, took the microphone from Fulp to thank the students and staff for their help.

“You guys have been just so full of support and full of love. To be honest with you, I don’t know how I could repay that,” Zagyva said.

Zagyva described a moment, weeks after his diagnosis, when his siblings who are also teachers came up to be with him. They walked through the building and told him that they could feel the positive energy within the building.

“It’s really like a second home,” Zagyva said.

Mixed in between all the acts, music, dancing, basketball, cheerleading, and spoken word, Zagyva’s heartfelt appreciation received the longest and loudest response from the students. Fulp offered him as an example to being committed to the culture of the school.

Devoe had met Zagyva once prior to the assembly. He described the first time they met.

“A person that even though they struggle and have pain, they’re not going to be characterized by their illness...You inspire me,” Devoe said. “I want to thank you for your service. I want to thank you for putting others first. I want to thank you for reaching and teaching countless generations of people that grew up to be something because of you. That’s a sacrifice.”

Zagyva continued the day as he may have prior to the diagnosis, going over expectations of the students for the school year. Students read commitment statements over the morning announcements each day. Zagyva helped to define student’s commitment to themselves and their peers to “go higher” while showing his utmost commitment to the students.

“This year will spread positivity, encourage others to do their best, be 100% with the teachers and myself,” one student wrote in a commitment statement.

“I will always work hard every day I will help someone if they need it in any way. I don’t care about the appearance, I care about the person. I will smile at everyone, help people through tough times and get good grades in honor of my brother and in the process I am making myself a better person,” another student wrote in their commitment statement.

Fulp brought her son, Patrick McMahon, a 6-foot-5 sophomore on the Colony High basketball team, up to the center of the court with a smirk on her face.

“This is my little way of inspiring people without telling them ahead of time,” said Fulp.

Fulp dribbled a basketball and handed it off to Devoe, who was charged with the all-important alley-oop pass. While McMahon is a promising young basketball player with length and hops, he was also wearing jeans, sneakers that had not been tied, and a hoodie. He had not stretched or prepared, and has not yet dunked in a varsity game. Fulp charged him with throwing it down in front of her 800 some students, who very clearly wanted to see it happen.

McMahon did not stuff the first attempt, or the second. It took him three tries to finally dunk the basketball, and the crowd erupted. Fulp was not satisfied, and called on her son to share his talent again. McMahon did not make the first attempt after the made dunk, nor the second. He tried to corral passes from Devoe with no luck, when finally he went up and threw it down again, much to the delight of 800 sixth through eighth graders. With all the displays of talent and commitment from teachers, dancers, and singers, Fulp wanted to give her athletic students a reason to get excited.

“Athletes needed someone to connect with and get excited about. They needed to have another kid showing their gift in a quick way,” Fulp said.

Devoe, who spoke with poise and passion to 800 teenagers, has been through rough times in his life. He has been speaking motivationally for seven years and teaches a class called From Hustling to Healing. His success has blossomed not only in Anchorage, but nationwide.

“I’m learning to do what I’m supposed to do for Alaska. I think anything I try to do outside of Alaska, if I don’t do it in Alaska first it will crumble … I try to craft something that they’ll be able to receive but you can hear,” said Devoe.

Devoe, 40, spoke with students all throughout the day, including small group sessions and one on one time with Zagyva.

“Yes, I’m faith based so you’ll be able to hear some principles and things that come out, because that’s just, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” Devoe said.

Devoe was immediately approached by children who had questions about the safety in their own home. They felt comfortable around him. He took selfies with students after the assembly and told them to “go higher.”

“I’m speaking to the future champion in a person, but also, acknowledge their pain that they’re going through right now. Not everybody has the same situation,” Devoe said.

Devoe will speak on new beginnings in January, and plans to check up on students, asking them what they remembered from the last time they saw him.

Fulp threw the assembly together as a way to motivate students to succeed. The moving experience brought adults and students alike to tears. While not every middle school principal may have a 6-5 son at her disposal down the street, or a vocalist as talented as Bethel who are willing to lend their talents, but Fulp is working to teach students to reach as high as they can, regardless of the circumstances.

“Pay attention in class. Do my work. Don’t procrastinate,” one student wrote as a list of ways to achieve their goals.

Staff also wrote their own commitment statements that look identical to the students’.

“I promise to be kind and helpful to the sixth graders. I will also be respectful to my teachers and peers. I will give high fives and smiles to the people I see in the halls,” wrote one student.