Graduation Day Traditions

Graduation is that final celebration of success for students who have completed all of their academic requirements. This is a time of tradition and celebration for the whole student community.


Trinity Preparatory School
In 1966, Trinity Preparatory School was established by a dedicated group of Orlando community leaders led by the late Reverend Canon A. Rees Hay. Believing that the Rich Library entry should have a focal point, Canon Hay purchased a cast plaster elephant. For many years it has been part of the Commencement procession. A graduate is chosen and has the honor of decorating and processing with the elephant to the stage for the graduation ceremony.

Senior Rock was donated to the campus after Canon Hay mentioned the idea to the Class of 1976. Class members Brock Magruder and Bill Schmidt immediately provided the first rock, roughly 2' x 3' in size. Classmate Susan Bouldin asked her father for a "rock" for graduation. Naturally, she wanted a ring, but her father took her literally. On graduation day, Howard Bouldin provided a truly memorable gift when he had this "gem" brought in from a quarry near Ocala! Since then, the rock has belonged to the members of each senior class, available for them to decorate with paint throughout the year.

During Commencement no effort is made to give students their own diplomas; instead, the ribbon around each is labeled with a graduates name. Following the graduation ceremony, seniors exit the Education Center to the pealing of the Hubbard Bells in the Hay Bell Tower. They gather around Senior Rock in a circle surrounded by the faculty, administrators, and trustees. The graduates then begin passing the diplomas until each class member receives his/her own at and steps out of the circle. This symbolizes starting out as one unit and going separate ways while always being surrounded by and part of the Trinity family. This tradition was introduced by Canon Hay, reproducing a tradition from his prep school, Mount Hermon.


The Pennington School
In a ceremony filled with pomp and circumstance, the seniors' final moments at The Pennington School are celebrated on the lawn in front of Old Main. A Pennington tradition permits alumni, faculty members, or trustees to present diplomas to their graduating children or siblings. A luncheon on O'Hanlon Lawn follows the ceremony.

Rockford College
This day is the greatest of Rockford College's traditions. The day is started with a ceremony at Fisher Chapel. Students join friends and family in remembering the days that they have spent at Rockford College. Then its off to the march. Students, friends, family and members of the community gather to honor the graduates as they march into their futures. After the announcements, graduated students gather for pictures, hugs and tears of joy and also sadness to be leaving Rockford College. Its sure to be a day full of many emotions and a day they no one is sure to forget.


West Point
As the class joins the ‘‘Long Gray Line’’ of West Point graduates, the children get readied for a mad dash that has become an annual graduation day tradition at West Point over the past half century. Moments after taking the oath of office, and being commissioned as second lieutenants, the graduates toss their hats into the air as the ceremony and their careers as cadets officially comes to an end. Then the children scrambled all over the field to retrieve a hat, keeps it as their own.

Graduation day at West Point is the culmination of four years of work and the beginning of a new life in the military for the newly commissioned officers. Another graduation day ritual designed to honor the class ‘‘goat’’ — the graduate who finishes at the bottom of the class academically — only came about in 1968. Every member of the class gives a silver dollar to the goat, which he receives at graduation.

Codman Academy Charter School
Instead of a class valedictorian at graduation, leadership, service and academic achievement of every student is recognised. On the last day of school, students in Senior Institute who are on track to become Seniors draw the names and dates for Senior Talks for the following year. Every senior gives a talk to the entire school with parents and family invited to attend. Senior Talks is a special opportunity over the course of senior year to hear seniors’ reflections on their learning at Codman as well as their advice to their classmates of all ages. Senior Talks will be videotaped. Each senior will create a portrait in any media to present as a gift on graduation day. Senior portraits are anonymous until they are made public at graduation. Portraits might be photographs, collages, quilts, songs, poems or any other artistic expression honoring the graduate.