SCHOOL NEWS

Cranston East celebrates accomplishments of seniors during annual Academic Convocation

Posted 5/26/21

It was a beautiful evening on May 19 as members of Cranston High School East's class of 2021 were honored for their academic excellence and accomplishments at Cranston Stadium. Emcee of the annual Academic Convocation event was Assistant Principal

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SCHOOL NEWS

Cranston East celebrates accomplishments of seniors during annual Academic Convocation

A PROCESSION TO START THE EVENING: Nearly 100 students from the Cranston East class of 2021 processed into Cranston Stadium under beautiful skies for the first of several senior events taking place in the weeks ahead. This event was the first large group gathering to take place in more than a year. (

Courtesy of Cranston Public Schools)

A STAR-SPANGLED START: The CHSE JROTC Honor Guard posted the colors as senior Nathaniel Poskus performed the National Anthem.

GREETINGS FROM CRANSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS: Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse addressed the seniors, praising them for their dedication to their studies, their achievements and their perseverance during the global pandemic, which had taken them out of school halfway through their junior year.

PROUD PRINCIPAL: Cranston High School East Principal Sean Kelly expressed his pride in his students and their achievements over the past 14 months and throughout the entirety of their high school years.

IN MEMORY OF MARINE LANCE CPL. HOLLY CHARETTE: The family of Marine Lance Cpl. Holly Charette, a 2001 graduate, presented senior Lessis Silverio with this year’s Holly Charette Scholarship. They were just one of several families and community representatives present to hand out scholarships and awards.

GREETINGS FROM THE CRANSTON SCHOOL COMMITTEE: School Committee member Sara Tindall-Woodman celebrated the class of 2021 in her address and shared her pride in their many accomplishments through such difficult times.

RECOGNITION FOR ALL: As the students’ names were called, they proceeded to the front in order to be recognized.

MAYOR KENNETH HOPKINS SCHOLARSHIP: Cranston’s Mayor Kenneth Hopkins proudly presented senior Angelina Ortiz with the Mayor Kenneth Hopkins Scholarship.

FIRST IN CLASS: Aislinn Baxter is congratulated by Principal Sean Kelly for her accomplishment in being named the valedictorian of the Cranston East class of 2021.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SALUTATORIAN: Senior William Hardy is recognized by Principal Kelly as the class of 2021 salutatorian.

Posted Wednesday, May 26, 2021 1:00 am

It was a beautiful evening on May 19 as members of Cranston High School East’s class of 2021 were honored for their academic excellence and accomplishments at Cranston Stadium.

Emcee of the annual Academic Convocation event was Assistant Principal Kaitlin Hitchings. Senior Nathaniel Poskus performed the national anthem as the JROTC Color Guard posted the colors. Honored platform guests included Mayor Kenneth Hopkins, Superintendent Jeannine Nota-Masse, Executive Director of Pupil Personnel Services Michele Simposon, and School Committee members Sara Tindall-Woodman, Domenic Fusco and Michael Traficante.

Speakers on stage from Cranston High School East included Principal Sean Kelly and Hitchings. Assistant principals Christopher D’Ambrosio, Sandra Matoian-Heard and David Aulenbach, Dean Isa Tejada, as well as many members of the Cranston East faculty and Cranston Public Schools administration were in attendance. Several family members and community representatives were also on hand at the event to present scholarships to the students as well.

As Kelly welcomed the students and family members to the event, he shared his extreme pride in the group of students gathered that evening; pride in their work, their accomplishments, and their perseverance through unprecedented times, as well as pride and honor in being their principal. More than $200,000 in scholarships were awarded to nearly 100 students that evening and 200 awards were presented, including honor roll and honor society awards such as Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors, Rhode Island Honor

Society, National Honor Society, NHS Spirit of Excellence Award, Tri-M Honor Society, National Art Honor Society and the RI Department of Education’s Future Educators awards. In addition, a wide variety of academic and departmental awards were presented as well.

Each of the platform speakers praised the members of the senior class being honored that evening for their perseverance, effort and dedication to their studies, their community service, and their extra-curricular activities despite such trying times. It was noted that this year’s senior class had weathered the pandemic through both their junior and senior years, missing out on the hallmark events that normally take place during those years throughout the 14 months since their school had closed on March 13, 2020.

During the event, the class of 2021 valedictorian, Aislinn Baxter, and salutatorian, William Hardy, were announced and celebrated.