This Saturday is Benicia High School’s Class of 2016 graduation, and more than 400 seniors will be ready to start an exciting new chapter in their lives. The end of high school will not be the only chapter of their lives that will be closing, as many of them have been attending schools in Benicia since kindergarten. Elementary school is where students gain the fundamental skills that will guide them through not only the rest of their schooling but also life itself. That is why several graduating seniors will be paying visit to their elementary school alma maters Wednesday for the first ever Senior Parade.

The premise behind the Senior Parade is simple. Participating seniors will be assigned to the Benicia elementary school they graduated from— those who did not attend elementary school in Benicia can still choose to participate at any of the city’s four elementary schools— where they will parade through the halls in their caps and gowns and receive high-fives and cheers from teachers and students as they pass by. The goal is to not only remind seniors of where they came from but also give encouragement to future Benicia High students. According to Benicia High Principal Brianna Kleinschmidt, the idea came from a news report about a similar event at a Texas high school that was posted to the Facebook group “Benicia Happenings” by a Benician.

“Several parents and students commented and showed their support for the idea,” Kleinschmidt said. “In response to their requests, I decided to offer this to our students and expand the idea by also including an opportunity for a few of our participating seniors to speak to the elementary students about how they were successful in school and serve as role models.”

Kleinschmidt said the school was hoping to send 40 to 50 students to each elementary school. However, only about 50 students in total signed up.

“Hopefully we can continue this next year and have an increased number of seniors interested,” she said.

Kleinschmidt believes the parade will be a growing experience for both high schoolers and elementary schoolers alike. For graduating seniors, it is a chance to look back at how education in Benicia has shaped them and use that as they prepare to move forward.

“I hope that our seniors will take this opportunity to reflect on their education and experiences in Benicia, gain perspective as they prepare to graduate, take pride in their identity as a BHS Panther and serve as a positive role model to our young students,” she said. “While some see graduation as the end, it really is the beginning of our students moving into their roles as adult members of our community.”

For elementary schoolers, especially outgoing fifth-graders, it is a chance to look at the success they could achieve if they pursue their education all the way through high school and beyond.

“Our elementary students are also celebrating the end of their school year, with some moving on from elementary to the middle school,” Kleinschmidt said. “I hope they see themselves as future Benicia High School graduates and are inspired to get involved in some of the activities that our students have enjoyed during their time at BHS: performing arts, visual arts, athletics, journalism, student clubs and leadership positions.”

Participating seniors will meet at 1 p.m., Wednesday, in the Benicia High gym for instructions. From there, they will travel to the assigned elementary school with three staff chaperones, where the parades will begin at 1:30 p.m. After the conclusion of the parade, students will gather in a multi-purpose room where two seniors will give brief speeches on what it is like to be a Benicia High student and take questions.

“Benicia High School wants to increase our presence in the community, connect with the community and be a source of pride for all of our students, alumni, parents, and community members,” Kleinschmidt said. “We hope that our elementary and middle school students look forward to becoming a Panther and that they will contribute to our tradition of Panther Pride.”

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