Northampton Area School District Superintendent Joseph Kovalchik laid out the path for success for the eighth-grade Northampton Area Middle School class when they enter as freshmen in September at Northampton Area High School.

Kovalchik, in an address June 8 at the moving up celebration, akin to a graduation exercise sans the cap, gown and diplomas, said the high school affords the students “challenges and opportunities” as they pursue a curriculum, whether it be academic, vocational training or another direction.

“You are the first class from the new middle school to be in the eighth-grade moving up celebration,” Kovalchik said.

The bar set by the 2016 high school graduating class “has been set very high,” Kovalchik mentioned, a challenge to the Class of 2020.

Listing the many opportunities that await them during their four years in high school are numerous courses and clubs, including drama, music, technology, athletics and college and university courses at its campuses.

For the 407 incoming high school freshmen, the entry into a new environment and school will be exciting as well as challenging, it was said.

Middle school Principal Patrice Turner expressed satisfaction that the eighth-grade class is well prepared to move on. Teachers excelled in helping create that progress for students.

A novel concept to the middle school is dividing the student body into teams from the cement industry, an entire school-year program beginning in the fall at an assembly when representatives of the plants visited the school. Teachers are team leaders for Team Atlas, Team Essroc, Team Hercules, Keystone Colonials, Lafarge Centennials and Lehigh Generals, bringing the Konkrete Kids history current.