WARWICK — A dozen fifth- and sixth-grade students sat in the soccer field wearing graduation caps and masks for this year’s Warwick Community School graduation Monday, one of the last events the school population may hold together following the recently approved closure of the local elementary school.
The ceremony, held June 15, celebrated nine fifth-grade students and three sixth-grade students. Principal Christine Mullen said it was important to have a dual fifth- and sixth-grade ceremony because many of the fifth-graders have been a part of the class since kindergarten, but will not be continuing to Northfield Elementary School next year.
“We wanted them to have the full hoopla of a Warwick-style ceremony before they departed from us,” Mullen said when she announced the event at last week’s school committee meeting.
The main ceremony was held on the school soccer field where school custodian Todd Whitman painted boxes on the ground, six feet apart, with seats for students’ immediate family members. According to Mullen, a tradition of the Warwick Community School graduation sees students choose a speaker to introduce them.
Because of health concerns this year, and to avoid guests coming from across the county, speakers filmed a two-minute video for each student to share at the ceremony. The videos saw teachers and other guests speak to the students’ accolades and accomplishments as young musicians, athletes, mathematicians, class clowns and more.
This year saw the Charles Hand award given to two students, a fifth-grade and sixth-grade student, in recognition of their success and passion in mathematics. Fifth-grader Audrey Elwood was awarded alongside sixth-grader Sadie Waggenbeek. Waggenbeek completed the sixth grade math program in fifth grade and this year she studied a course combining aspects of math and art.
Most years the graduation also serves as a spring concert, but the music event could not be held this year due to health concerns. To celebrate as a full school, students from first through fourth grades were invited to participate in a “car-beeping parade” organized by Karen Ellis, a Warwick Community School paraprofessional.
“We’re doing our best to do things differently,” Ellis said of the celebrations.
Ellis led the parade with her car decorated as “Baby Shark.” Students and their families looped around the elementary school parking lot and town common, cheering and holding signs of congratulations for the “superstar” students. Mullen said all students received a T-shirt which read “WCS 2020” and featured the names of every student and staff member. Ellis said the school had also put together memory books for the staff and students.
“We’re doing everything we can to celebrate them, staff and students,” Ellis said.
With the district’s vote to close the Warwick Community School, students and faculty are expected to merge with the Northfield Elementary School, starting Fall 2020. However, Mullen said some students have chosen not to continue to Northfield alongside their classmates. She said this is mainly because they are School Choice students from Orange, and the distance from Orange to Northfield makes things difficult.
With the COVID-19 health crisis keeping them out of the building since March, some students and faculty have had trouble finding a sense of closure regarding not returning to the Warwick Community School in the Fall. To help provide closure, on June 18, the last day of school, Mullen said they will be holding a “Community Sing” event as a whole school. The students and their families will be invited to sing from their car windows in the bus circle and the parking lot. The PTO will distribute gifts and the staff will wave farewell, one last time.
“Staff will lead the children in singing eight songs, many of which have been written about their town, by them,” Mullen said.
■Christopher Suprise
■Gavin Young
■Wyatt Whitman
■Logan White
■Cordelia Rhodes
■Maxwell Kimball
■Layla Goulston
■Louise Flagollet
■Emmanuelle Flagollet
■Audrey Elwood
■Gerlyn Celiz
■Sadie Waggenbeek
■Tyler Hatch
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.