The senior-kindergarten playdate took place today as part of senior week. The playdate between the Convent elementary schoolers and the highschool students is an annual tradition for the graduating seniors.
“When I was in kindergarten, we met with senior buddies,” freshman Ainsley Smith said. “During holidays we made them gifts, and at the end of the year playdate, we gave them advice for making new friends because as kindergarteners we had just made new friends at Convent,”
From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Broadway Campus, seniors spent their time playing, helping and doing crafts with the kindergarteners. Seniors and kindergarteners also shared advice with each other about topics like friendship and growing up, according to Smith.
“I was excited for the senior-kindergarten play date,” senior Elizabeth Klimek said. “It was fun to interact with the little ones and give them wisdom and advice,”
To celebrate the day, seniors also wore merch from the college they are attending next fall, according to Klimek. This gives them an opportunity to show off their new school pride and expose kindergarteners to the idea of going to college.
“We are a K-12 institution in the same ethos and location, so it feels good for our newest students to interact with the older students,” Community Life chair Michael Buckley said. “Both grades end up learning a lot from each other,”
Later today, the Baccalaureate Mass will take place at St. Mary’s Cathedral. A baccalaureate mass is a ceremony that celebrates the graduating seniors, according to KimberlyYavorki.
Students will dress in their graduation attire and their families are invited to attend the mass.
“I really enjoyed meeting up with the seniors when I was in kindergarten because it gave me someone to look up to,” Smith said. “I can’t wait to have a kindergarten buddy when I’m a senior; it’ll be such a cool full-circle experience.”
