School Begins 1st Day With a Rose Parade

The new school year began Monday at Highland Hall in Northridge as it has for decades, with a solemn and inspiring ceremony to welcome incoming first-graders.

Symbolic of a torch passed between generations, each new pupil was given a single rose from the school’s 12th-grade students as the sun rose over an outdoor courtyard on the rustic, tree-shaded campus.

This year, however, the ritual played out not just for the students and teachers. For the first time in its history, the small private school opened the rose ceremony to family and friends as well.

“It’s important for the parents to see how we carry on the tradition,” explained first-grade teacher Robert Murar. Established in the San Fernando Valley in the 1950s, Highland Hall is part of the Waldorf educational movement developed in Germany, a curriculum that seeks to provide a more intimate, enriching experience for students.

Following a rendition of the school song, the ceremony began with the traditional procession of first-graders, who each rang a small bell given to them on their last day of kindergarten. Taking full advantage of the unprecedented access, cameras clicked and whirred as parents rushed to record the magic moment.

For Humberto Ramirez, the 12th-grade sponsor and a 16-year campus veteran, the ceremony is especially poignant since he has known many students nearly all their lives.

“It’s a strange feeling to see them grow up,” he said. “It’s exciting.”

For 17-year-old senior Kelly Ferris, who was finally on the other side of the rose ceremony after 15 years at Highland Hall, the day was a chance to make new friends--the three first-graders she will shepherd and advise during the school year.

Posing for pictures snapped by proud parents, she confessed that cameras perhaps infringe on the seriousness of the occasion. Still, she already had a familiar agenda for her first day of senior year.

“Have fun,” she said.