The Class of 2016 Crosses the Lawn

A little bit of misty weather couldn’t stop an excited crowd of family, friends and members of the Ranney community as they gathered on the pathway from Lower School to Middle School to cheer on the Class of 2016 during our annual Crossing the Lawn ceremony, held Thursday, June 4, 2009.

The day began with a breakfast for family and friends in the RSPA Panther Hall Gallery, while rain threatened the beloved tradition. Mrs. Laura Gillroy, Assistant Head of Lower School, opened the ceremony, asking the Kindergarteners, the Class of 2021, to form an honor guard while the Class of 2016 was presented in procession. Gathered together for the first time in Panther Hall for the Crossing the Lawn ceremony, fifth grade classmates Jared Katz and Rachel Staats welcomed the crowd and led the pledge of allegiance.

On behalf of their classmates, Ricky Wild and Shruthi Vaidyaselvan, symbolically passed the Lower School torch to the Class of 2021, presented the Kindergarteners with a gift and welcomed them to their new home in the Lower School Academic Complex.

Head of Lower School, Mrs. Patricia Marshall, addressed the Class of 2016, a class she referred to as “extraordinary and possessing many talents”. Defined as athletes, artists and activists, our fifth graders are certainly a class of doers and givers. “Crossing the Lawn is another Ranney tradition where we join together both friends and family, as well as a time when we acknowledge that the students have been instilled with foundations of both scholarship and character,” said Mrs. Marshall. Together with the Head of School, she presented the gift from the Class of 2016 to Ranney’s Lower School: a framed, signed, class picture to hang in the new fifth grade learning neighborhood. As the first class to give back to Lower School, the Class of 2016 has begun a wonderful, new tradition.

Dr. Sykoff, Head of School, began his remarks by welcoming the crowd of parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and even babies (potential members of the class of 2025) to the ceremony, saying, “it takes a great school, and a great family, to raise a child”. He addressed the students by reading a story entitled Big Brother, Little Brother, a classic South Korean folk tale. Dr. Sykoff challenged the students to apply the tale’s lesson about the importance of family to their own lives. The significance of this message was not lost on the members of the Class of 2016 as they dedicated a spirited rendition of the song “Stand by Me” to their parents.

The fifth grade video was presented by fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Doreen Fowlkes. This is a much anticipated Ranney custom which features photos, set to music, of the graduating class as babies and through their school years at Ranney.

The Class of 2016 was officially welcomed to sixth grade by Mrs. Kathleen Deeken, Head of Middle School. She urged the students to continue sharing their talents in art, music and drama, as well as their notable leadership in community service.

To conclude the promotion ceremony, the fifth graders treated the audience to a moving performance of "Friends Forever", the 2008 Beijing Olympics’ opening theme song. Afterward, as Mrs. Marshall proudly presented the Class of 2016, Philip Cantave led his classmates in a three cheer salute - an apt way to close the festive promotion ceremony.

But the students were given still one more surprise – the rain had stopped and they were able to cross over to Middle School and assemble on the Ranney Crescent. As the students had their photographs taken and enjoyed refreshments with family and friends, the Class of 2016 fondly said goodbye to Lower School and looked ahead to the next step of their journey at Ranney School.

For additional information on all Ranney School news, please contact the Communications Department at communications@ranneyschool.org.