Emphasizing family values during the year, the Walter Woodward Mustangs eighth graders followed the theme of “The Brady Bunch” of TV fame and called themselves, “The Woodward Bunch.”
Some 80 students filed in to take their places on the stage in the multi-purpose room where a standing-room-only crowd of family and friends eagerly awaited them. Principal Sherrie Jamero noted that she had spent the last nine years with her students coming to the school when they were all in kindergarten.
The Woodward Band played for the processional and Kimberlyn Nguyen and Adrian Corona led the Pledge of Allegiance for the entire gathering on their feet followed by a speech from the school’s student body president Ian Mata.  
Three other students gave speeches to the crowd and to their fellow students.  They were Jovana Whorton, Elizabeth Beattie and Dylan Hofstad.
The presentation of certificates of promotion was made by Principal Sherrie Jamero and Vice Principal Christine Benson along with school district Trustee Michael Seelye.
The students moving on into their high school years included Alexandro Aguilar, Alicia Aguilar, Jade Aguilar, Michah Aguilar, Rafael Aguilar, Allen Zion, Amador Alejandro, Anderson Riley, Ashley Emily, Noah Bague, Elizabeth Beattie, Kierra Blackwell, Bradford Kenyan, Bella Butler, Nayely Casillas, Arielle Chandler Adrian Corona, Brandon Corral, Daymari Cox, Johnathan David Cox, Alondra Cruz, Christopher Davis, Dylan DePrater, Amrit Dehal, Austin Densmore, Lopreet Dheraj, Isaac Donnelly Tristan Dooley Trinitie Elliott, Jarett Emery, Cole Flores, Abbie Gallman, Isabella Gonzalez, Melissa Gonzalez, Avnet Gosal, Trinity Herrera, Lynn Hoang, Dylan Hofstad, Abbey Kadillak, Charles Knight, Madisyn Kovacs, Emily Ledesma, Gael Leos, Alysa Levchenko Lopez, Mark Smith, Lorenzo Lucero, Leslie Magna, Iysha Mahmood, Andrew Maki, Alexis Marquez, Ian Mata, Neela Mehraban, Mehtaj Mehrok, Bainan Menchaca-Ortiz, Sydney Meninga, Allyssa Moncada, Christina Negrete, Kimberlyn Nguyen, Madison Noriega, Jocelyn Paniagua, Kavi Patel, Vaidehi Patel, Sandra Perez, Samantha Quitasol, Cole Ramsey, Sian Rashid, Trevor Remmen,  Eduardo Rodriguez Ayala, Aidan Rubio, Sergio Ruelas, Aman Safi, Nicolas Schatmeier, Jasmine Schleiger, Alyson Schneider, Juvraj Sidhu, Preeya Singh, Carson Smith, Jordan Soto, Karlie Spohn, Isaac Telles, Adell Tristin, Renee Valdez, Michael Valiquette, Ayana Van Staavern, Juliana Ventura, Samuel Veuve, Ryan Villaneuva, Meriya Vovk, Samara White, Faith Whitney, Angelina Whorton, Jovanna Whorton, Miyah Williams, Zoe Wilson, Jazmene Wilson, Jeremiah Wilson, Morris Wilson, Lily Younathan, Kimberly Yu, Dylan Zimmermann and Christian Zuniga.

At the end of the ceremonies,  the Woodward Band played the recessional march as the new high school freshmen walked off stage to be greeted by their parents.
To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.