Seniors Sail Into First Day With Spirit

First day at Swampscott High was both loud and orderly, and energetic and appropriate — and met expectations of students and principal, alike.

Wednesday came and went without the senior tunnel ceremony and without the running of the school halls — scrapped by Principal Ed Rozmiarek over safety and other concerns.

But the day brought new traditions, as the Class of 2014, a resourceful group, improvised, perhaps forging a new path for future classes.  

Seniors ate breakfast together, drove to school together and entered the school together.

They filed into school and the cafeteria in an orderly and loud fashion, charged with energy and pride and making a lot of noise, said senior Chris Thomsen, one of two seniors who are student representatives to the School Committee.

"Although we didn't necessarily get to form the senior tunnel and continue some of the fun traditions other classes had, I think the first day had the same energy that other first days have had in the past," said Chris.

Seniors resumed hollering at 10 a.m. when called to the atrium to standby as underclassmen made their way into the auditorium for the all-school assembly. 

"If we were as loud as previous seniors were during the tunnel, I think the noise would have been deafening," said Chris. "However, I think some of the passion was lost simply because we weren't doing the tunnel, and from the half-hour break between the breakfast and the screaming in the atrium."

The assembly went well and, all in all, the first day of school was fine, said Chris.
"We still brought a lot of energy to the school, and hopefully, these new traditions can continue for next year's seniors," he said.

Principal Rozmiarek said he was proud of the school staff and the students for the way they handled the first day.

The new principal changed the course followed by seniors on previous first days, in part, to give the day the right tone, one that aimed for order and eschewed abandon.

Here are the principal's thoughts about the first day of school:

"Swampscott High School got off to a terrific start today.  The day began with the 9th grade students alone for the first two hours.  They were able to meet their homeroom teachers, find their lockers, understand their schedules, and have their yearbook photos taken.  By 10:00, the rest of the school joined us.  The senior class came in, very excited, but also very appropriate.  They had decorated the atrium and the plaza in front of the building with their names, a banner, and streamers and balloons in Swampscott blue and white.  There was no running through the halls, and their entrance was very much in line with what I expected.  Seniors, juniors and sophomores met with their own homeroom teachers, and then we had a full class assembly.  The seniors were recognized by the rest of the school and had numerous opportunities to demonstrate their excitement for their return to school.
In our opening assembly, I stressed unity in the school and the part that everyone plays in making the school successful.  I emphasized the values of collaboration, teamwork and support, and encouraged students to support each others activities and to look out for each other throughout the year.  When I was hired last spring, one message I heard from staff and students was the desire to build a stronger sense of schoolwide unity, and I focused on that with the students today.  I specifically thanked the senior class for their positive energy as well as their appropriate behavior and their willingness to meet the expectations that we set for them.  I was quite impressed.
Students had brief meetings with all of their teachers for the remainder of the school day, and we dismissed at 2:30 after an encouraging but otherwise uneventful day.
I'd like to acknowledge and thank my assistant principals, Lytania Mackey and Frank Kowalski for their help in scheduling and overseeing the operations today; senior class advisor Joe Bennett for his communication with the senior class; our campus monitors Tony Geraci and Lenny Polacco for welcoming students into the building and for being very supportive; and the entire teaching and support staff of the school for a great first day.  It takes many people, in many different roles, for a school of this size to operate, and I was very pleased with today's operations.
I think we'll all come back tomorrow and do it again!!"