When his name was called, fifth-grader Nicholas Zook walked up three steps and tugged a rope. The old bell at Hazel Dell Elementary School donged and ushered in the end of another school year in Vancouver.
Students sat crosslegged on the pavement in front of the old, iron school bell that once adorned a Hazel Dell school in another era.
The school’s long-standing tradition of ringing the school bell drew a crowd of parents, grandparents and siblings Thursday morning. Former students Tina Starks, 15, and Brian Starks, 12, attended with their parents, Sandy and Mike Starks. Both of the Starks children now attend Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. Former Hazel Dell student Leon Webberley, 31, attended the ceremony with his mother, Rhonda Webberley.
“We always come back for this,” Rhonda Webberley said. “I think we only missed two years.”
First Day of School for the 2016-17 School Year
• Aug. 30: Ridgefield.
• Aug. 31: Evergreen, Green Mountain, Hockinson, La Center, Vancouver, Woodland.
• Sept. 6: Camas.
• Sept. 7: Battle Ground, Washougal.
“We’re here to celebrate our fifth-grade students,” said Principal Mychael Irwin. “Each student ringing the bell signifies the step they’ve just completed in their academic career.”
Nicholas was the last of the school’s 76 fifth-graders to ring the bell. Next fall, he and his classmates will attend either Jason Lee or Gaiser middle school.
“We’re excited to see them go, even though it’s sad,” said Irwin.
Another tradition is for each staff member who is retiring or moving to another school to ring the bell once for each year of working at the school.
Diane Horner, a paraeducator, rang the bell 22 times. Her own children, Roger Horner and Megan Horner, attended Hazel Dell Elementary when she started working at the school.
Last to ring the bell was Cindy Hudson, another paraeducator. When Irwin announced that Hudson was retiring, students shouted, “No! No!”
“She has the biggest heart of anyone I know,” Irwin said. “We hope she’ll still come around as a volunteer.”
As Hudson approached the bell, she waved and blew kisses to the crowd.
She rang the bell 24 times as the students counted “One. Two. Three. Four …”
After the ceremony, Irwin lingered as she talked with her departing fifth-graders.
It was Irwin’s first year at Hazel Dell Elementary. Many people had told her about the bell-ringing ceremony.
“This is the tradition I’ve looked forward to all year long,” Irwin said as she stopped to greet one last fifth-grader.
La Center, Evergreen, Green Mountain, Hockinson and Vancouver school districts released schools for summer break Thursday. The school year ended in Battle Ground, Camas and Ridgefield earlier this week. Washougal releases its students for summer today. For students in Woodland, the last day of the academic year is Tuesday.
