CHESHIRE, Mass. — It was a bittersweet ending for children and faculty at Cheshire Elementary on Tuesday, with the welcoming of summer vacation balanced against the knowledge they would be walking out of the school's doors for the last time.
"For all of us as we move on I said we had a bittersweet day today but I appreciate everyone in their shirts and here together," Principal Peter Bachli told a tunnel of students and faculty all wearing red Cheshire shirts. "It is the kind of school we are and the kind of school we will be moving forward."
Although most students were gung-ho to get on with summer, much of the faculty held back tears as they saw their students off on the final day of school.
Teachers have been busy the past few months preparing to move to either C.T. Plunkett Elementary in Adams or Hoosac Valley High School because of the slated closing of Cheshire Elementary. The decision by the regional school district to shutter the small school in the face of rising costs and declining enrollment has been an emotional blow to the town.
"It's been emotional but I think we are putting on a good front," teacher Heather Emerson said. "The kids are excited to go to Plunkett with us in the fall and we are all trying to focus on the positive."
Bachli, who become principal of Plunkett, said it is important for the faculty and student body to hold on to traditions such as the "walk of honor." Every year, outgoing teachers walk through the halls and are presented flowers by cheering students and colleagues.
This memorable year, the Cheshire Elementary community not only said goodbye to its school, but to speech language assistant Linda Giroux, who has been with the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District for 17 years.
Bachli said Giroux's departure and celebration helps level out a sensitive time.
"It has been up and down and we do the positive things for the end of the year we hold on to our traditions that we have," he said. "Linda has been with us a long time and it's nice that we can see her off today and wish her a happy retirement."
Bachli said end-of-the-year celebrations were purposely spread out over the past week with a "super field day" earlier in June.
"We have been doing an assortment of little events. I didn't want to have one big grand event because I thought it would be too funeral-ish," he said. "We are trying to stay positive and get through it but it's hard. It's a grieving process."
Bachli said the staff is grieving together because they're so close. He said in his eight years as principal, he has only hired one teacher.
"We built a family and everyone has been here a long time," he said. "There is something neat about this building. Just the age and the architecture, and I think the building is not what teaches kids, but I think the hardest thing for us is that we reached the point where we function like a well-oiled machine."
Bachli said he is looking forward to September when everyone is set in their new buildings and the arduous budget process is over.
"The tension between the two communities is a hurdle to get over but I think we can get over it," he said. "There are good people dedicated to kids ... and I think everything will be fine."
