Why Village School Graduation Matters!
June 7, 2023
The 2023 Village School graduation is coming up! Unfortunately, it does mean that the seniors of 2023 are graduating, and it’s time to wave goodbye, to let them out into the world where they will pursue their dreams. But graduation is something that happens at all schools, so what makes Village School graduation so special?
Our Own Style
For starters, Village School graduation is more personal. Most of the students are involved, and it is on our own turf—our own front lawn. But what do I mean by all that?
Well, like regular graduations, the seniors on stage are called one by one to receive their diplomas and give off a farewell speech. But at Village School, we do it much differently. The diplomas are put in a basket, and one by one, Steve pulls out a diploma and calls the senior’s name on the diploma to come up and give their speech—mind you, way less boring speeches than the ones at a traditional school’s graduation.
At other schools, it is tradition for just the seniors and their family to come and watch them graduate. At Village School however, it’s not just the seniors and their families that come; it’s the entire school, the entire board, the PTA president, the central office, the assistant superintendents, the freshman, the sophomores, the juniors, and all of the families of students.
One of the particularly unique things about Village School graduation is that there is a musical number before it starts. Steve, Halina, Sam, and sometimes a student who plays an instrument all perform a musical number, with either Steve and Halina as a duo—Steve on guitar and Halina singing—or Sam performing a solo on his guitar, and a group that includes a student who plays an instrument.
Like everything else at Village School, our graduation is unique, special, and student-centered. As much as it makes me nervous, I love it every year.
— Steve Goldberg
