PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Welcome to the Portsmouth High School (RI) Graduation website! 

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the traditions, rituals, rules, and routines that accompany this truly momentus   occassion!

While we celebrate a myriad of accomplishments throughout the school year, Senior Graduation is particularly special event as it serves as the culminating celebration of a thirteen year journey. Whereas many modern celebrations focus on the accomplishment of the individual, high school graduation is an important rite of passage that focuses on the collective accomplishments of the entire graduating class in its entirety. This sentiment is symbolized by several aspects of commencement including ceremonial graduate dress (i.e. red, white, and blue caps and gowns), the collective class procession and recession, and the democratic selection of featured student and keynote speakers that represent the values and accomplishments of the class. 

This is not to say that we dismiss our students' individuality and personal strengths. One of the benefits of the PHS community is that we have the pleasure of collaborating with a diverse array of students that bring a seemingly endless list of personal passions, talents, skills, and dispositions to their work each and every day. In the spirit of honoring our students' individuality, we encourage graduates to decorate their mortarboards (caps) in a way that represents themselves as unique contributors to the larger collective.