Toll Gate students won’t be taking their walk across the stage until tonight, but on Monday morning graduating seniors donned their caps and gowns for a stroll down memory lane.

On Monday seniors wore their cap and gowns, walking from Toll Gate to Winman, where Scott Elementary students were waiting outside, then throughout the hallways of the junior high to the cheers and high fives from the younger students. Finally, the seniors returned to Toll Gate, walking through the halls while the rest of the student body and staff cheered them on.

Christa Thompson, an English teacher at Toll Gate, proposed the cap and gown walk after seeing similar events across the country. She was met with immediate support, many faculty and staff volunteering to organize and oversee the walk. Many of the events Thompson had seen previously work only within the school, but with the unique closeness of Toll Gate and Winman it only made sense to take the walk one step farther.

“We were able to share this moment with everyone,” Thompson said. “This has been a tough year for Warwick and we wanted to do something positive for our seniors because you only graduate once. They deserve something special.”

Susan Ryder, a special educator at Toll Gate and one of the volunteers for the walk, said this allows the seniors to “retrace their footsteps” through the Warwick School System the day before graduation. She said it would be very nostalgic for seniors, and some of them could be seen tearing up as they made their way through the hallways of Winman and Toll Gate. Ryder and Assistant Principal David Tober said it was also a time to see teachers from their past.

Tober noted that the cap and gown walk was a voluntary program, but nearly every graduating senior of the 236-student class participated.

“That really says something. They all wanted to be a part of this. For our seniors it is a chance to touch base with their past, to see the teachers that helped them to get to this point,” Tober said.

Thompson said not only was the walk for teachers and fellow students to show pride in their seniors but also for the seniors to show pride in themselves and everything they have been able to accomplish during their time in the Warwick School System.

“I don’t think we celebrate our students enough sometimes. This was so the community could show their support as these seniors move on from high school. It has really improved student and teacher morale towards the end of the year,” Thompson said.

From the beginning she wanted the very first cap and gown walk to be about pride, respect and gratitude. The cap and gown walk wasn’t just for celebrating the seniors but also to inspire younger students to continue to strive in their education and make their way towards graduation themselves.

Joanne Pelletier, principal of Winman Junior High, said the walk is the “end product,” the culmination of more than 12 years of education. She believes this will help to reinvest students to working hard in school so one day they can be among the students walking in their gap and gowns through the same hallways.

Tober noted that for many students, unless they have an older sibling, they may never go to a graduation, never see older students walk in their cap and gown.

“These students are able to see success, to have something to strive towards they can picture. This has just been a great and positive community coming together,” he said.

Mijanielle Achille, a 6th grader at Scott Elementary School who cheered on the seniors, said she was happy to be celebrating the seniors –“past Scotties.”

“It’s good to root for them,” she said. “They were just like us once. Shows you how much can change. We could be just like them one day.”

Thompson said that for the younger students this is a very visual representation of graduation. The walk acts as a visual, allowing graduation be something tangible, more attainable, something they could one day achieve.

All three of Warwick’s public high schools are graduating this week, starting with Toll Gate on Tuesday, June 14, beginning at 6 p.m. Vets’ graduation will be Wednesday, June 15 and Pilgrim’s will be on Thursday, June 16. All of the graduations will be held at CCRI’s field house beginning at 6 p.m.

CLASS OF 2016:

Toll Gate will see 236 seniors graduate tomorrow evening. Before they cross that stage, the students walked through the halls of Winman and Toll Gate to inspire younger students to strive towards graduation. (Warwick Beacon photos) ELEMENTARY SUPPORT:

Sixth grade students from Scott Elementary stood outside Winman Junior High to watch as Toll Gate seniors walked in their cap and gowns through the two schools. One sixth grader commented that the seniors were once where they are now in elementary school.

CONGRATULATIONS:

Throughout the hallways of both school, students and staff took time out of class to cheer for the graduating seniors, giving high fives and shouting out encouragement. CELEBRATE YOURSELF:

Christa Thompson, an English teacher that proposed the cap and gown walk, said that this is a time not only for the community to show pride in their graduating seniors, but also for the students to be proud of themselves and all they have accomplished in school.