NORTH SMITHFIELD – “I’ve been doing this for 37 and a half years,” said WPRI Chief Meteorologist Tony Petrarca to the 15 WeeCare Academy and Daycare graduates and their families at their graduation ceremony Thursday morning. “And this is the first graduation I’ve ever been invited to. I’ll never forget it.”
Petrarca was the guest of honor for the North Smithfield preschool graduation. The children had been studying the weather since late spring, watching Petrarca and trying to predict the weather, said Debbie Bailey-Scotto, owner and director of WeeCare.
“We invited him to the graduation, and he said yes. The children are all excited – ‘the man on TV is coming to see us,'” Bailey-Scotto said.
Petrarca gave an address to the graduates, five of whom are moving on to kindergarten next year, and asked them to raise their hands if they thought his forecasts were always right. He then told them a story about when he first became interested in meteorology.
“I’ve lived in Rhode Island all my life,” he said. “One day at school it started to snow. It snowed a lot. The buses and cars couldn’t run so we had to sleep over at school. It was so fun. We had a sleepover.
“The next day there was three to four feet of snow,” Petrarca said, asking a graduate to stand up and show everyone how much snow that was. “We had to stay over another night. Finally, the next day we were able to go home. And that storm was February 6th and 7th of 1978. It was a big, big blizzard. And ever since I wanted to be a meteorologist.”
The graduates showed Petrarca what they learned about the weather by explaining weather conditions such as snow, rain, clouds and rainbows. The children also ran a lemonade stand all summer and donated their proceeds to the Friends of North Smithfield Animal Shelter by presenting Cindy Rondeau and Joyce Anez of the shelter with a large check for $500.
North Smithfield Principal Jennifer Daigneault and Assistant Principal Tracy Lafreniere were also on hand to welcome the graduates going on to kindergarten to their new elementary school.
“I know this time is bittersweet for parents and loved ones,” Lafreniere said. “But it’s a beautiful time for the children. Just know they’re doing exactly what they’re supposed to do – grow.”
