Kaechele ES fifth-graders and longtime music teacher celebrate their next chapters

Roughly 80 fifth-grade graduates gathered to say goodbye to David A. Kaechele Elementary School one last time May 29. Their music teacher, Edward Krauss, did the same after 50 years in music education.

Krauss has been teaching at Kaechele for 12 years, since the school first opened.

“I'm sure that they are experiencing mixed emotions,” Krauss said about the graduates. “Just like I am leaving with retirement and wondering what's in store for me in the future.”

Parents, friends, and family members brought their lawn chairs on the school’s outside field to watch their fifth-graders graduate, moving on to either Short Pump Middle School or Moody Middle School. 

“I'm sure that [the graduates] are wondering, ‘Are we gonna be able to leave Kaechele behind and be able to enjoy this new adventure journey ahead of us?’” Krauss said.

As the students crossed the stage, their homeroom teachers announced what each of them wanted to pursue on the journey ahead of them. One fifth-grade girl hopes to attend Harvard Law School, while another boy wants to be a “famous skydiver.” One boy has decided he wants to become a neurosurgeon, while another aims to play soccer “better than [Cristiano] Ronaldo.”

Graduate Hellen Faral said she is “probably nervous, but mostly excited” at the prospect of moving onto middle school. 

Charitha Nimmagadda, who graduated from Kaechele in 2018, remembers when she first went off to middle school. Now, her younger brother and his classmates will be making that same transition.

“I remember being so scared of the big halls and stuff like that,” Nimmagadda said. “But I hope that they realize that it’s not scary at all, and to just take it one day at a time.” 

Towards the end of the ceremony, “The Kaechele Award” was handed off to graduates Declan Brosnihan and Ellie Hogatt. Each year, the award is bestowed upon students who have demonstrated a strong work ethic, shown respect for others, and who have made a difference in the school.

Greg Robertson said he was incredibly proud of his son, Declan, for how hard he has worked as a student and as a person.

“I think it’s got a good foundation for middle school, and I think he’s just going to do great things next year,” he said.

To cap off the ceremony, the graduates sang “The Kaechele Song,” which they have recited for the last six years as Coyotes. The song was orchestrated by Krauss as his last performance of his career and a heartwarming way to go into retirement. 

For Nimmagadda, returning to Kaechele brings a lot of nostalgia, especially now that her own brother gets to walk the stage as a graduate. 

“It’s a little bittersweet, because he was such a little baby when he came here. I started tearing up a little,” Nimmagadda said. “[The graduates] have so much ahead of them. It just really puts into perspective for me how much they have going forward.”

Ashley Novak said that her daughter is finally coming to terms with the fact that she is leaving Kaechele, the place she has known and loved for the past six years. But, after seeing her up on stage, Novak knows that she is ready for all of the adventures ahead of her.

“She is sad to leave, but she’s also very excited for middle school,” said Novak. “This morning, she goes, ‘Yep, I’m going to be a middle-schooler!’ And walked out.”

– Citizen Education Reporter Liana Hardy contributed to this article