ALTON/GODFREY - Alton High School seniors spent their last day of school together at the park.
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On Friday, May 1, 2026, the Class of 2026 held a field day at Glazebrook Park, where they enjoyed soccer and basketball games, bounce houses, music, a cookout and more. They also did a “walkout” where they visited their old elementary schools. AHS Principal Stacie Franke noted that the day was a fun way to celebrate their hard work before graduation.
“It’s just really an opportunity for them to get together and be with their friends, and also for the whole class to just come together and spend some time together on their last day,” she said. “We’re just really excited for that class to get together and be celebratory as a community.”
Franke said the field day tradition started last year. This year, the Student Council approached the administration and asked about including the walkout. Students were eager to visit their old teachers and to show the elementary kids that they can also graduate if they work hard and commit to their studies.
The kids, meanwhile, were happy to “see them graduate and celebrate with them,” Franke said. Students and teachers at East, West and North Elementary Schools made posters to welcome the seniors. For Naem West, the AHS Student Council president, it was a powerful experience.
“It was surreal. It made me cry,” he said. “They seemed very happy to see us. It’s great to see little kids in the community looking up to us.”
After the walkout, seniors were bused to Glazebrook Park in Godfrey where they spent the rest of the day playing games and enjoying their time together.
While May 1 was their last official day of school, some seniors will take finals, and then the class will be reunited for Senior Awards Night and a few other celebratory events before graduation on Saturday, May 16.
Franke expressed her appreciation for West and the Student Council, who helped cultivate a positive school culture through events and activities like the field day. She also noted that the Class of 2026 is special, and watching them graduate is exciting.
“It’s been kind of sad the past couple of days with them, knowing that they’re winding down,” she explained. “You’re going to miss the connections, but you’re super excited for what they’re going to be doing in the future. It’s a really cool class.”
West echoed her, adding that it was “bittersweet” to celebrate with his friends and classmates at the field day. He noted the event was a meaningful final moment for the Class of 2026 to connect.
“Most of us have gone to school since we were in kindergarten together, so seeing us all growing up about to go our separate ways, wearing our commitment shirts, it just feels really nice,” he said. “Everyone is coming together.”
This was the goal of the field day, but also a larger aim of the district’s, Franke said. As they work to cultivate a culture of belonging at the high school and beyond, Franke hopes the field day and walkout served as positive experiences for students of all ages.
“We’ve tried really hard on our culture of belonging and having our students celebrate and want to be part of the community, and it’s been really exciting,” she said. “I think for us to generate excitement, for the seniors to graduate with the whole district, and bringing those elementary school buildings together, has been really helpful for us to set the goal to graduate and to have a big celebration for it.”
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