GRANITE FALLS — High school senior Tessa Romack remembers kindergarten.
What she remembers most about the 1998-99 school year is the special graduation celebration her kindergarten teacher, Olga Litz, organized for her class.
Romack, 18, brought flowers to the Kindergarten Fiesta program Monday night at Mountain Way Elementary School for three graduating kindergartners.
“I baby-sat all three of them as they’ve grown up,” she said. “It’s fun to be able to come back and watch them.”
For the past 11 years, Litz has invited graduating high school seniors back to the Kindergarten Fiesta. She uses class photographs to search for the names of her former students on a district list of the year’s graduating seniors.
Romack was one of six seniors from Granite Falls High School who attended this year’s Kindergarten Fiesta in their caps and gowns.
“A couple of weeks prior I send out invitations, and I hope I hear from them,” Litz said.
She organized the first kindergarten graduation ceremony at Mountain Way Elementary School in 1987 and called it a “fiesta” because at the time she was the only minority teacher in the Granite Falls School District who spoke Spanish. In all, 43 students Monday were part of this year’s two fiesta programs.
Parents pointed their cameras and video recorders at a stage where students danced “La Raspa,” a Mexican folk dance. The students in the afternoon kindergarten class sang out months of the year and counted in Spanish. They thanked their parents through several songs and invited them up to the stage to accept flowers and to dance again.
Senior Brandon Gilbertson, 18, was the first to bring a dance partner, his mother, Karen, up to the stage. He knew he wanted to attend the fiesta as soon as he read the invitation, he said.
Gilbertson, who plans to study computer science engineering at the University of Washington this fall, shared some advice with the kindergarten parents.
“Stick with your kids and, whatever they’re doing, get involved with it because it makes both your lives more enjoyable,” he said.
The graduating kindergartners introduced themselves and stated what they want to be when they grow up. Elli Restrepo wants to be a veterinarian. Casey Reid, a nurse. Wyatt Doran, a football player. The cafeteria was full of parents, grandparents, siblings and friends, all bursting with pride.
Near the end of the program, the seniors helped students in the Class of 2023 put on their graduation caps. They walked across the stage to hug Litz and received a graduation certificate from Principal Cathie West.
Inviting high school seniors to the graduation was a good idea, said Jakob Young, 6.
“I like them,” he said. “I want them to come back.”
Amy Daybert: 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com.
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