The Tisbury School — along with elementary schools across the Island — celebrated its final day of the year Tuesday, ringing in summer around noon with a sea of smiling faces.
Children from kindergarten to second grade paraded through the school grounds, moving in a line and finally dispersing under a bright yellow banner that read, “Happy Summer!”
Teachers and parents gathered around the banner, holding phones high to photograph students. Some filed around the line of children, blowing bubbles. Everyone could be heard cheering, with several parents yelling, “You did it!”
On hand for the last day of school, Emily Levett, who teaches second grade, said the kids were ready. “It’s a gorgeous day,” she said. “This feels like summer’s ready to begin.”
Looking to next year, Levett said she’s excited. By this point, renovations to the school that have been ongoing for years will have finally concluded. The renovations were originally planned to bring the school up-to-date in terms of health and accessibility standards.
“We’ve gone through quite a few moves over the past few years,” she said. She’s looking forward to having a sense of “stability,” and for her and fellow teachers to no longer be separated in the current, more isolated buildings.
The layout of the school now consists of several modular buildings, labeled A through D.
“We’ve been in here since November 2022,” said Principal John Custer. He said there were even more renovations on the previous school building prior to this time. The current renovations are set to finish this summer, according to Custer, and he said he’s feeling optimistic and hopeful for next year.
In terms of the long road to the school’s completion, Custer said, “the project team continues to be marvelous.”
And in the meantime, Levett said, the modular buildings have felt relatively new and clean.
Within the modular buildings’ center, students hugged teachers goodbye and waved to parents. Many were beaming with pride as they left to go home.
“School is about a community, and it’s about people coming together,” Levett said. “It’s really not about the building. It’s about the people.”