A final goodbye from student to teacher. A way for the top of the senior class to voice their gratitude to those who have guided them to the finish line. A “Senior Salute.”

      The Senior Salute ceremony is a newer tradition for SV, and on May 19, the top 20 seniors of the 2020-2021 graduating class will get the chance to continue it. The event consists of a speech portion conducted by the students and a luncheon.

     “[The Senior Salute] is Dr. Harvey’s brainchild to honor the top 20 seniors and [also] teachers who’ve had an impact. This is the 2nd year it’s been held at SVHS,” Senior Salute coordinator Jessica Hill said.

     Students first learned about the Senior Salute through an email and subsequent meeting on April 21 and 22 respectively. They were told to nominate a teacher whom they believed had the biggest impact on their high school careers that they would then give a specialized speech to and be able to eat lunch with.

     “[When I found out] I thought it was pretty cool. It seems like a good way to give back to the teachers that have helped you and made things fun throughout high school,” senior Daniel Gregory said.

     Giving a short speech to the teacher they nominated is a way for each student to give back to the staff. The general recommendation from principal Michael Harvey and previous event coordinator Nicole Jackson was that speeches be brief but lighthearted, as this event is meant to be a celebration of moving forward.

     “I’m probably going to start out with a joke, or maybe an inside joke about something that’s happened in [my nominee’s] class over the past four years,” senior Craig Dedrick said. “Then I’ll go into how [they] affected my learning and where I’m going to go to college. I’m excited for the speech. I’m definitely going to make it funny.”

     Nominations are announced during Senior Week and act as a way to get underclassmen involved and surprise the teachers as well.

     “Teachers who are to be recognized are surprised with an invitation [and] presented by junior marshals with balloons two days prior to the Salute, but they don’t know who will be recognizing them,” Hill said.

     After the speeches in which the teachers find out who nominated them, they partake in the school catered lunch with said student.

     “I think [the teachers] will think it’s pretty awesome having a student tell them how great they are and how much they’ve done for them,” Dedrick said. “It’ll probably be a little bit sad, but it will be cool to get a formal goodbye and to get a chance to talk to the teachers on more of a one-to-one level.”

     The event is set up through the administration and the counseling department and all faculty members are eligible to be nominated including coaches, counselors, and elective teachers. The Senior Salute serves multiple purposes and is meant to honor both teachers and students.

     “I’m excited for the part where we get to sit down and really talk to the teachers because [my teacher nominee] is always really fun to talk to,” Gregory said. “It also lets [all the teachers] know that what they’re doing is paying off and students are seeing and appreciating what they’re doing.”

     Not only is this event about saying goodbye to the teachers, but it also provides a sense of closure for the students. Nearly all of the current top 20 plan to go to four-year colleges. This program offers a way for students to reflect on their time at SV before transitioning to the next stage of their journey,

     “It will be a bittersweet moment, you know? Because you’re happy to move on with your life and go new places but at the same time you’re leaving behind all these great teachers and memories,” Gregory said.