Grymes has many traditions which add so much to the community of the school and help make the school the special place it is.
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dding to the rich tapestry at Grymes, our many traditions from the May Pole to the Eighth Grade Dinner, make our students' time here at Grymes feel like time spent with family, rich with fond memories.
May Pole
The tradition of celebrating May Day at Grymes began in the 1950’s with Mrs. Grymes and her kindergarten class. For years a kindergarten girl was crowned May Queen and others in the class danced around the May Pole. After Mrs. Grymes retired, the tradition lapsed. Then sometime in the early 1980's, the traditional dance was brought back, this time to include seventh and eighth grade girls. To this day, each year on May Day, parents, friends, and the entire student body attend the celebration.
Rebels and Virginians
From junior kindergarten to eighth grade, the entire student body is divided into two teams, the Rebels and Virginians. The Rebels wear red and the Virginians wear white to special events. The teams are pitted against each other in pep rallies, athletic competitions, classroom contests, and academic contests including the "Name that Book" competition.
Field Day
Each year, on the Friday before Memorial Day, the Rebels and Virginians in each grade compete against each other in athletic events including a softball game, the long jump, sack races and the long run on "The Yellow Brick Road," which is a cross country trail that winds up and down the hills of our campus. Points are added up and the winning team is announced.
Declamations
Every student from kindergarten to eighth grade memorizes a poem to recite. During the early years of the school, these recitations were made in the classrooms, but now they are performed on stage in front of the entire student body, parents, grandparents, and friends.
Partners
The Partner program is a well-loved tradition that pairs lower and upper school students for educational, fun, and seasonal activities throughout the year. Shortly into the school year, Upper school students pick names of lower school students and then write a riddle describing themselves. The young partners try to guess who their big partners are, and at the first get-together they reveal their identity.
Book-a-thon
Book-a-thon was started by the librarian to raise funds for the library while at the same time encouraging students to read. Students seek out sponsors to pay them per page, per chapter, or per book according to what they have read. Students are also required to keep track and return all of the paperwork along with the money raised. In the past Book-a-thon has helped fund library shelves, computers, renovations, and visiting authors.
Kindergarten/first grade Thanksgiving Feast
Every fall the kindergarteners study Native Americans and the first grade learns about Pilgrims. The culmination of the two studies is a feast where the Pilgrims and Native Americans come together to share a meal of venison, corn, berries, and other foods similar to what they would have eaten during the first Thanksgiving celebration.
The Giving Tree
At Christmas time, the Student Leadership Council decorates a tree which is placed in the front hall. Students choose ornaments from the tree with a description of a gift for a young boy or girl. They bring in wrapped presents that are distributed the week before Christmas break. The students load up onto buses and deliver the gifts to needy families in the local area.
Eighth grade speeches
Every eighth grader is required to give a speech in front of the faculty and student body at the end of the year. Parents as well as friends of the school are also invited. The speeches are written by the students in response to a few pre-formatted questions from which they can choose. The questions are thought-provoking and students are instructed on how to write a timed piece and how to address an audience.
Eighth grade dinner
The week before graduation, students, parents, and guests are invited to a sit down dinner where several faculty members speak about individual eighth graders. Also during that evening “Lifers” are recognized. A Lifer is a student who has attended Grymes at least from kindergarten through eighth grade.