Galloway School Holds Unique Commencement

held its Class of 2012 graduation ceremony on the school campus on May 24. Much more than just a typical commencement, the Galloway School does not require caps and gowns and avoids a formal pomp and circumstance processional.

Each student carries a flower of their own choosing, and as they get to the stage, they put the flower into a vase. The vase eventually holds a unique bouquet of flowers, a metaphor that each student is an individual but together they are a community.

The school has no formal or informal ranking system for any of its students, thus it has no valedictorian or salutatorian. According to information provided by the school, however, 100-percent of the 62 students of the Class of 2012 will attend one of 48 different colleges in the United States.

Each senior was entitled to be part of the graduation ceremony in whatever way they chose, whether it be a monologue, speech, musical performance or dance.