The courtyard at Warwick Veterans Memorial High School was filled with all manner of inflatable games and activities Friday, as the school community came together for an end of the school celebration before Vets closes and re-opens as a super junior high school next year as part of consolidation. That consolidation will also see Aldrich and Gorton close, with those students attending either Winman or Vets.

There was a strong sense of community and pride in the school among attendees, as they snacked on burgers and hotdogs, tossed the Frisbee, kicked the soccer ball, or stood in line for the variety of games and activities on hand.

“I had no idea there would be this much stuff,” said Emma McGrath, a junior. “This is amazing. It’s great that they did this. I haven’t done anything like this since elementary school.”

McGrath said it really says something when you look around the courtyard and see everyone engaged in some type of activity, rather than being glued to their cell phones.

McGrath spoke highly of the school, its sense of community, the “really great” teachers, and especially Principal Gerry Habershaw, who organized Friday’s field day event.

“Mr. Habershaw has been a great principal, I’m happy he’ll be at Pilgrim,” she said. With Vets being re-purposed as a junior high, Habershaw will be the new principal at Pilgrim High School next year, where many of the current Vets students will also attend. A portion of them will attend Toll Gate as well, as the current Vets school population will be split between Warwick’s two remaining high schools.

McGrath said she loves playing soccer and volleyball. She played volleyball her freshman and sophomore year, in addition to playing basketball for the past three years, which she hopes to continue at Pilgrim.

“I’ve grown with Vets over the years,” she said. “I wasn’t as involved at first, but I got more confident as I got older. I’ll definitely miss it.”

Junior Kayla McCoy and her friends, Mia Mitchner, Dayna Razza and Tierra Frey, also juniors, don’t want to see the school close.

“Everyone knows everyone here,” McCoy said. “Everyone is really close, it’s like a big family.”

Mitchner added, “This has been my favorite school I’ve ever been to.”

The girls said they would miss everything about the school, especially the Leadership Academy, which they participated in together. Other activities the girls were a part of included gymnastics, lacrosse, cheerleading, and DECA.

When asked what they enjoyed most about their time at Vets, the girls said their friends “and the nice teachers.”

“Mr. Habershaw is the best principal in the world,” Mitchner said. “We should have one of these [field days] once a week. This has been more fun than Prom. It’s been the best thing all year.”

Junior Dave Rascoe, who played on the basketball team, said he had a great time at the field day and has had a lot of fun at the school over the years.

“The school means a lot to me, it’s like my home,” he said. “I’ll miss the teachers.”

Devin O’Rourke, a sophomore who played on the baseball and basketball teams, said he enjoys the sports teams at Vets.

“They’re more laid back,” he said. “I don’t participate in many clubs, but I know there are a lot of cool ones here.”

O’Rourke said the school is very close because everyone knows everyone, echoing McCoy.

“It sucks that the school is closing, but this is a pretty cool event,” he said of the field day. “Vets has been a stepping stone. I’ll always remember it.”

During a phone interview Monday, Habershaw said the field day school celebration was a great success.

“There was positive feedback from the kids and a lot of smiles on their faces, which is what it’s all about,” he said. “It was a good day.” Photos called vets field day in Beacon 6-14-16 folder 2

VETS FAMILY:

From left, juniors Kayla McCoy, Dayna Razza, Tierra Frey, and Mia Mitchner enjoy the field day event celebrating the high school before it becomes a junior high next year. The girls, who were all part of the Leadership Academy, said the Vets community is like a family because everyone knows everyone and is close. (Beacon photo by Matt Bower)