As the 2024 school year comes to a close, there are many senior traditions that the graduating class has to look forward to. Here are some milestones that the Class of 2024 gets to enjoy in the coming weeks:

The clap-out: At some of the Westfield elementary schools, an end-of-year clapout is held to celebrate all of the graduating class. At Washington Elementary School, the clap-out will be held on June 19, the day before graduation. During this event, the elementary students line the hallways of the school while the seniors take their final walk through the school, giving them a round of applause as they go. Washington School Principal Dr. Andrew Perry said, “The WHS Clap-Out is one of our favorite traditions. It is where the future meets the past. The seniors set a great example for our elementary students, and they get to remember what their clap-out as fifth graders was like on the last day of school. After dismissal, we have a reception in the auditorium for the seniors, their families, and our teachers. We show pictures of them we collected over the years and have a great time catching up.” While Washington is just one of the elementary schools in the Westfield district participating in this tradition, it is a priceless, full-circle tradition that we participated in as elementary schoolers and now get to experience as high school graduates.

The Apple: From Lincoln School to WHS, the tradition of wearing the apple at graduation for those who have been enrolled at Westfield Public Schools for 13 years is a sentimental way to symbolize the long-lasting, hard work of our district’s seniors. Those who received their apple mainly got them at Lincoln School and will have the opportunity to wear theirs at graduation. “I think at the time, making the apples at Lincoln didn’t mean anything, but now that it’s almost June and we finally get to wear them, it just shows how much we’ve gone through,” said senior Julia Dizon. The wooden apple represents years of memories and acts as a reflection for students who have come so far from their six-year-old-selves.

The Senior Picnic: Yesterday, seniors were exempt from Periods 6 and 7 to head out to the back field for a picnic. Each year, food trucks line the WHS parking lot and students participate in several outdoor sports on the field such as grass volleyball and cornhole. In addition to the games and food, caps and gowns were distributed at this event.

Promposals: With almost 1,000 posts on the feed, the Instagram account @promposalsofwhs has been updating the Senior class with ways people have been asked to prom since 2015. “I think people like to share what clever quotes and puns everyone comes up with and it’s fun to see who everyone is going with,” said senior Belén Arbeláez. The account has been passed down for almost a decade and it is an exciting way to connect with the entire class before the senior prom celebration in early June.