Red Hook High School Friday celebrated Decision Day Friday with a celebration behind the school at which members of the Class of 2026 could create signs and decoration announcing their future plans.
May 1 is National College Decision Day, the deadline to send in an enrollment deposit and secure a place in your chosen college. The goal at Red Hook was not only to fete those who will attend college next year but all graduating seniors who have a set plan, be it a trade school, the military, the workforce or otherwise.
Many students on Friday wore shirts, sweatshirts or hats from their next school. At the celebration, students were given art supplies to decorate lawn signs and mini pennants with their school’s name or logo. The school planned to arrange the signs outside along the route the buses take to leave the property for all students to see; the seniors will then be able to take their signs home Monday. The mini pennants were collected and will be used for decoration inside the school.
The inaugural event was the brainchild of the Class of 2026 advisers and officers, along with the Student Services department, building on previous efforts to celebrate Decision Day. Christie Hegarty, Class of 2026 adviser along with Lauren Cerulo, noted spring is a stressful time for seniors.
“They’re testing, they’re getting toward that final push toward graduation, they’re losing a little bit of steam,” the biology teacher said, “so this is a good way to, kind of, get them out there, get them excited and get them happy about making that last little push toward graduation.”
Sunny skies and mild temperatures created perfect conditions for sitting outside and decorating in groups while listening to music late Friday morning. Holy Cow Ice Cream donated vanilla, chocolate and swirl ice cream cups for the students to enjoy. Many after decorating played games of hacky sack or Spikeball, or passed around a volleyball.
“For those (who have been) looking at schools for over two years, this really feels like the final moment of deciding,” Illa DeFraites Scott, one of the class officers, said, “even if you’ve already known … which is a lot of weight off so somebody’s shoulders.”