By AMY ADAMS
For The Reporter
On Wednesday, each of the six elementary schools in Westfield Washington Schools (WWS) held a breakfast for graduating seniors to return for a celebration of their achievements.
Senior Day, which has become a tradition in WWS, was first begun in 2008 by former Oak Trace Elementary School principal Robin Lynch, who returns every year for the event.
“That was our first year of graduating fourth graders and the first year we did the breakfast,” said current Oak Trace Principal Jane Hitch. “We’ve been doing it ever since.”
The approximately 250 seniors who attended across all the elementary schools were given the opportunity to share their plans after graduation and their favorite memory of their time in elementary school.
At Oak Trace, the seniors rewatched their year-end video from fourth grade. At Carey Ridge and Maple Glen elementary schools, the seniors welcomed students into the school building. And at Shamrock Springs Elementary School, the seniors got to “run down the ramp” one last time.
Fourth grade teacher Ann Joseph served as emcee for the morning event at Washington Woods Elementary School, welcoming seniors, parents, and former staff members.
“I love when the kids come back,” Joseph said. “It’s one of my most favorite convocations we do each year. I always carry my yearbook because we may not look like we’ve changed to the students, but they all look different to us.”
Former staff members returned for the occasion, including Dr. Scott Williams. Williams moved from Washington Elementary, which is now Westfield Intermediate School, to WWES when it opened in 2003 and served as principal when the currently graduating seniors were there.
Megan Spitzer taught fourth grade at WWES for 17 years. She hugged and caught up with her former students, including Halena Michael, who plans to attend IUPUI to study dental hygiene.
“I keep this event on my calendar,” Spitzer said. “They’re your kids for a year, and it’s so neat to see them grow up.”
(Above left) Original photo of Jane Hitch and her third-grade class at Oak Trace Elementary. (Above right) Current Oak Trace Elementary School Principal Jane Hitch and her former students recreated a third-grade photo on the playground. (Photos provided)
WHS soccer teammates Beck Hunter and Cooper Ardaiolo had Abby Odmark as their first and second grade teacher at WWES because that happened to be the year she moved up. Though after 11 years she is no longer teaching at the school, Odmark brought her former students copies of “Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book” by Diane Muldrow.
After graduation, Hunter will be headed to Ball State University to study accounting or business administration, and Ardaiolo will be attending the University of Cincinnati to study environmental engineering.
After being given time to complete a scavenger hunt around the school, the seniors led the WWES students and staff in the pledge of allegiance.
Favorite memories of WWES included field days and field trips. Seniors recalled creating the murals that now adorn the walls of the MPR where the breakfast was held, as well as the movie nights and wax museums held in that room.
At Monon Trail Elementary School, the top favorite memory of seniors seemed to be the “probably way-too-competitive fourth grade kickball tournament,” according to current Principal Jeremy Marvel.
“Monon Trail is the youngest school,” Marvel said. “We don’t have the number of seniors that the other schools do, but we are growing each year.”
Jamie Boxler, who now teaches STEM, taught some of the seniors when they were in fourth grade back when there were only two classes per grade at MTES.
“It was a smaller group, so we really knew all of them,” Boxler said.
MTES has a tradition of doing a “clap out” to encourage and celebrate their students for any academic competitions, like Math Bowl, Spell Bowl, and LEGO League.
School counselor Stacey Kraus suggested doing a clap out for the seniors.
So as “We Will Rock You” by Queen played, more than 500 elementary students and staff members lined the walls joining in the iconic stomp-stomp-clap in time with the music as the 14 seniors made one last run through the halls of Monon Trail giving and receiving high fives and cheers.
Senior Joselyne Iracheta, who plans to attend Marian University to study art, has a special connection to Monon Trail because she is the oldest of five siblings who have attended the elementary school.
Next year, her brother Jose will have the opportunity to run the halls during the school’s clap-out for fourth graders on the last day of school. And before parents and teachers know it, those fourth graders will be running the halls for the last time as seniors.
Photos provided