55 Graduate From East Rock Community Magnet School

Jaylen Edwards learned how much he loved going to East Rock Community Magnet School when, after the pandemic struck, he and his classmates had to stay home.

After months of learning at home, separate from one another, Edwards (pictured) and 54 of his peers reunited in their cars at East Rock Community Magnet School on Wednesday afternoon for a drive-by graduation ceremony. As graduating students and their families rode around the school’s block, teachers and administrators greeted them with T‑shirts, gift bags, photographs, and cheers.

“Sometimes I didn’t like coming to school,” Edwards recalled of his experiences at school before the pandemic. ​“Now that [online learning] happened, we really love school.”

Edwards said that seeing his teachers cheer him on ​“makes me want to cry. I’m gonna miss middle school.”

Assistant Principal Leslie DePriest said that seeing the students graduate was ​“bittersweet,” knowing that much of the in-person bonding and connections that take place during the second half of the school year couldn’t quite take place online.

In honor of the students’ graduation, teachers and administrators wanted to do something joyful, DePriest said. ​“I’m telling them all to come back and visit us,” she said.

“This is one of the craftiest graduations,” said Niki Sturgis-Nash, an instructional math coach.

“It’s so excellent to see them again” after months of only interacting with students virtually, she said. ​“I hope that this is something to show that we care about them.”

Sixth-grade teacher Amy Binkowski (pictured at the left) cheered on cars of students and their families with other teachers and guidance counselors.

The event was organized into various stations around the block. Graduates’ cars stopped at each station to say hi to their former teachers and pick up personalized T‑shirts and gift bags full of tassels, pencils, gift cards, lollipops, and writing utensils.

Teachers gathered to greet one student, Kanai, who rode by with a colorful sign and floating balloons.

As his car drove up to receive a T‑shirt, eighth-grader Nasir Anderson cheered and raised his fist in celebration.

Javier Rivera’s parents, grandparents, great-grandmother, and siblings piled into one car with him as he received his diploma.

As Rivera passed by his teachers, his family filled the air with swirls of confetti.

Serenity Lumsden said she appreciated the drive-by celebration. She arrived with a Frozen-themed balloon — and the laptop she had borrowed in order to access online classes, taking the opportunity to return it.

When learning transitioned online this year, Rey Williams (pictured with his mom, Lidia Martinez) said he missed being able to see his friends in person and hear his teachers’ voices. He fondly remembered the lunch table he sat at with his friends. At graduation, ​“it feels like all my years of hard work are worth it,” he said.

Jaylen Edwards (pictured with his mom, Aryella Edwards) said that he grew wiser after experiencing online learning. ​“At first I didn’t like it, but it taught me a lot about myself,” he said. ​“I learned that I can’t take what I have for granted.”