Last night, with the help of Board of Education members and many present and former staff members, students, and families, the community had an opportunity to say farewell to Carmen Arace Intermediate School (CAIS).
The event, which was held in the Arace library, provided an opportunity for attendees to reminisce about the wonderful memories made within the first two hallways of the Arace building since the school opened in August 2004.
In true CAIS fashion, the tables were decorated in black and orange, the cake proudly displayed a tiger, and Roary, the school's mascot, happily joined the festivities. Principal Diana Bunting hosted the event and shared details about the school's continued focus on developing good humans and driven scholars.
At one point during the event, all of the principals who served the school between 2004 and 2026 were in attendance: Dr. Sam Galloway, Dr. Tracy Youngberg, Ms. Sarah Williams, and Ms. Diana Bunting.
Dr. Youngberg, who served as the school's second principal from 2008 to 2014, shared the following reflection after the event:
"From a logical standpoint, everyone knows the school building is not really what makes so many cherished memories. It's the people inside, the friendships and laughter, the shared love for the students you are collectively committed to seeing succeed, and the life milestones that staff experience together along the way. Emotionally, it's hard to separate the building from all that love and light, so it's important to provide a space to formally say goodbye."
As a reminder to the community, for the 2026–2027 school year, fifth-grade students will attend Metacomet Elementary School under the leadership of Mr. Paul Guzzo. Sixth-grade students will join their seventh- and eighth-grade counterparts at Carmen Arace Middle School under the leadership of Ms. Diana Bunting and Ms. Laura Curley-Colon.
Based on last night's attendance and the overwhelmingly positive spirit in the room, it's safe to say that Carmen Arace Intermediate School will not soon be forgotten.
