If K1’s graduation carried the quiet emotions of a seven-year journey, today DGS was immersed in a very different atmosphere - brighter, livelier, and filled with youthful energy - as we celebrated the Middle School Graduation of Grade 8.

Looking back three years ago, Ms. Nguyễn Tuyết Thanh, Representative of the Vietnamese Teachers, still remembers K5’s very first days at DGS:

“I still remember your curious faces during that first orientation, the excitement in your eyes whenever something new was waiting to be discovered. In advisory sessions, in math classes… back then, you carried such innocence, curiosity, and energy within you. I have always believed that every single one of you in K5 is special, not only because of your abilities, but because of who you are as people.

K5 has always been a group full of talent, though perhaps sometimes a little too humble to show it. Some of you excel academically, some are amazing at sports, others can dance, sing, play the flute, the piano, the guitar, even the t’rưng… Sometimes, you simply needed a little more confidence to let those wonderful parts of yourselves shine.

The humbleness of those early days have now made way for confidence and the courage to take the stage. Over the past month, K5 students themselves filmed videos, designed slides, and practiced performances for their very own graduation ceremony. Every detail of the event carried the unique spirit and creativity of DGS’s little “dragons.”

Three years of Middle School may not seem very long, but they are long enough for many things to change. When asked what changed the most in K5, Dr. Đặng Đình Long, Head of School, did not begin with grades or achievements:

“If someone asked me what has changed most in you over the past three years, I would not begin with your grades, your achievements, or the projects you have completed, although all of those deserve to be celebrated. I would begin with this: you have learned how to become a community. My answer is this: you have been learning how to grow closer, share with one another, and mature together. A connected community is not built only on joy, laughter, or warm moments shared together. Above all, it requires positive discipline, respect, and appreciation for the people around us.”

Representing Grade 8, Lê Minh Ngọc - 8 Sapphire beautifully captured K5’s shared emotions:

“Before DGS, school was just somewhere I went every day. But after meeting all of you, it became somewhere I wanted to be.

You guys turned ordinary days into memories I know I’ll carry with me for a very long time. And I don’t think any of us fully realize yet how much these past three years have changed us. Not through big main character arc moments, but through small things repeated over and over again: through conversations, inside jokes, struggles, laughter, and simply growing up beside one another every single day.”

And before K5 officially steps into High School, Mr. Livio Santi, Grade 8 Advisor Representative, shared a simple yet meaningful message with the students:

“As you move into Grade 9, don’t be afraid of a challenge. Lean into it. Growth rarely happens inside of your comfort zone. Students who succeed long term are not always the loudest, the smartest, or the most talented in the room. Often, it is the students who stay curious, remain kind and positive, work consistently, and learn from feedback.

Congratulations, K5, on completing such a beautiful chapter.

Thank you for the laughter, the colorful ideas, and the energy that made Middle School special in your own unforgettable way.

High School is waiting ahead with so many new adventures and possibilities.

Level up, K5!