E.H.S. Seniors Show Everett Elementary Students The Way

June 9, 2016

Everett, Everett Schools

Everett Elementary

Some Everett High Seniors at Jackson Elementary

Everett elementary

A soon to be graduate gets a flower from an elementary student.

Everett elementary

Elementary students applaud the big kids in cap and gown.

A great story came in this afternoon from Mary Waggoner at Everett Schools.

Soon to graduate Seniors from Everett High marched in cap and gowns through Jackson Elementary to thank their former elementary school teachers and inspire young students…

EHS students set example and say thank you!

What better way to inspire high school graduation aspirations among Everett elementary kids than to see “big kids” bring teachers to tears!

Rampant tears and big bear hugs were the actions of the morning on June 8 as Everett High School almost-graduates walked the halls of Jackson Elementary in caps and gowns.

The reason? They wanted to say “thank you” to the elementary teachers who helped build the academic foundations for their high school success. A bonus of the venture was the wide eyes and admiration high school kids got from elementary students fired up to graduate in a few years.

Principal Sally Lancaster said Wednesday’s trip to Jackson was a “test drive” for other such visits in the future. “The students wanted to see those ever-important elementary teachers again, and we wanted elementary students to get up close and personal with high school students flush with the excitement and energy of graduation.”

EHS counselor Gretchen Stiger went along for the trip and said, “I couldn’t think of a better way to start a work day!”

Everett High senior Cierra Felder, who will major in Business Management and Marketing at Eastern Washington University enjoyed, “…seeing all the teachers who are still there and the ones that came back just for this parade. I didn’t think they would remember me.”

Felder says she can remember wanting to go to college when she was in elementary school, but not thinking about it a lot. She added, “If I’d seen a parade like this when I was in elementary school, it would have been inspiring. This puts the idea of graduation into the minds of the little kids.”

Felder was correct, the elementary students had lots to say about their graduate preview parade.

· Emilio: “It was cool, because it made me realize how exciting it will be when I graduate from high school and pick what I want to do with my life.”
· Kyleigh: “I could see what I can do when I graduate someday, like walk through the halls here in my cap and gown.”
· Emily: “It was nice to see the graduates when they walked through the halls, and I pictured what it will be like when I walk through the halls.”
· Rory: “I liked imagining what it will be like when I graduate from high school.”
· Amirre: “I remembered when I graduated from preschool and got my preschool diploma.”
· Zach: “I thought it was cool to see some of the high schoolers and what graduation uniforms look like.”


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