Duniway School Parade signals ‘School’s Out', while Principal moves on

A sure sign that summer is arriving in the Eastmoreland neighborhood is the annual Duniway Elementary School Parade.

On Friday June 7, Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division Motorcycle officers were pleased to be once again escorting the hundreds of kids and staff members two blocks north along S.E. Reed College Place – and two blocks back to the school.

“One of the reasons I’m taking the lead in pulling together our parade this year, is that we have two kiddos here, a daughter and a son,” Duniway PTA member Catherine Mosich told THE BEE as classes of students were starting to line up along the divided street.

“Not only is it a traditional way to close out the school year, it’s also a great community event,” Mosich remarked. “And, it’s fun to see how many alumni and past parents come out to support the kids at the school!”

The parade was bittersweet for Duniway Principal Philip Rafferty, who was completing only his second year at the school, but is being transferred to Skyline K-8 in Northwest Portland. “This will be my third Parade,” remarked Rafferty; “I attended my first parade right after I was announced as the Principal.

“The parade is a wonderful tradition; unlike anything else I know of in our area,” Rafferty observed. “The best part for me is seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces; you can see they feel like a million bucks.

“It’s been a fantastic experience being here,” said Rafferty. “There’s nothing better than the support that we get from the Duniway school community.”

Duniway’s incoming Principal, Dr. John Melvin, couldn’t be there – but he’ll get to experience the joy of this parade next year, as school ends for the summer.