Pilgrim High School

History

Background and opening era (1960s)

In the early 1960s, the early baby boom population began entering high school, and the population of Warwick skyrocketed to almost 70,000 residents during the post-war era with the popularity of the suburb. To accommodate the sudden growth of families, in 1955, the city consolidated all of its then-operating high schools at the time into one building, Warwick Veterans High School. The former establishments, Aldrich, Gorton, and Lockwood, were converted into junior high schools. All of them have since closed, with Gorton becoming Warwick Public Schools' main offices in 2016, and Lockwood shuttering in June, 1979, now redeveloped into condominiums.

Overcrowding was still a problem only years after Vets opened, despite serving only three grades. It experimented with staggered schedules for the tenth graders, leading towards a double session schedule shortly after. The overpopulated student body led to the construction of a new high school in the city. It is unknown how the school got its name, but it presumably originates from where the neighborhood the school is located, Pilgrim Park. On December 30, 1962, the school was officially dedicated, and Michael A. Morry was named the first principal. A month later, on January 29, the school opened without delay during a cold winter morning. The big move was efficiently managed, with the Vets secretary going as far as scheduling students in the same classes they had in their previous school. The courtyards full of landscaping were described by one student as "just beautiful", and the cafeteria (once known as the "dining hall") was used to hold delightful dances. Sports teams were already formed, and the gymnasium was prepared to hold its first basketball game.

Still, Pilgrim's student population kept increasing. Morry implemented the double session schedule to avoid cramped conditions at the new school.

The golden era (1970–early 90s)

Despite the population peaking in the early 1970s, the number of students attending Pilgrim contributed to athletics, and they are responsible for the success of sports teams throughout the decade. In 1968, the boys' cross country team gave the school its first division championship, ushering an era of Pilgrim's dominance in athletics. The following year, the cross country team gave Pilgrim its first state title.

The baseball team was still consistent when they first played in 1963, and in 1970, they won their first championship, the first of five in the decade. In the 1970s, Pilgrim's baseball team had a 110–34 record (a 76.4% win percentage), six division titles, and five state titles starting in 1970, a threepeat from 1972 to 1974, and 1978. Pilgrim lost the championship in 1979, but their power continued until 1984, when the team finished off with a losing record. Although the baseball team in the 1980s was inconsistent with their records, they managed to win the 1980 and 1990 championships. and competed for the 1992 title.

Pilgrim also won championships with other sports teams as well. Boys' cross country continued to win titles through 1987. Ice hockey won three straight division championships from 1974 to 1976, and another in 1990. Football, wrestling, field hockey, boys' indoor track, girls' soccer, girls' tennis, and girls' volleyball were teams also associated with the "golden era".

The famed Morry had the Pilgrim football field dedicated to him. After he retired in 1983, Morry was succeeded by incumbent vice principal Ralph J. Hoffman. However, the latter was named as the school department's hearing officer, and in 1987, he left the school. Edmund B. "Smiley"Miley served as the principal of Pilgrim after Hoffman, a tenure that would last until 2002. He was derisively nicknamed "Smiley" by students due to his serious demeanor.

Post-golden era (early 90s–2014)

After years of instability, some teams began to emerge from an era where they lacked championships. The baseball team continued to appear in the playoffs, while the girls' cross country team won their first division title. The football team made two appearances in the division championship in 1992 and 1995. Boys' soccer, boys' swimming, girls' basketball, girls' cross country, girls' indoor track, softball, and wrestling are some of the notable teams that won titles in the 1990s to the early 2000s. The school's second track was installed in 1995 to replace the original cinder track, and was used frequently that it showed decrepit conditions twenty years later.

When Miley retired from office, Victor Mercurio (now superintendent of East Greenwich schools) took over duties of overseeing the students of Pilgrim, until he was appointed as the school department's director of secondary education in 2004. Dennis Mullen became the first teacher in the school named principal at Pilgrim, and he won the Outstanding New Principal award by the Rhode Island Association of School Principals. He also earned Principal of the Year in 2010 by the same organization. His tenure ended in 2012 similarly to his predecessor, taking over the job as director of secondary education. Marie Cote (née Johnson) became the school's first female principal, a position she would hold until 2015.

One notable lowlight during Pilgrim's post-golden era included a traffic accident during the 2009 school year. In April that year, fifteen-year old sophomore Kimberly Pisaturo was crossing the street while wearing headphones and looking at her phone, when a school bus transporting students to Providence struck her near the school. The driver, Rebecca Toolin, was unaware of the situation until she pulled over. The victim's family requested privacy due to the tragedy, but a YouTube video was uploaded in memory of her.

Students' disinterest in metalwork helped convert one room from a shop classroom and storage area to a media studio for audiovisual courses as a result of a $95,600 grant by The Champlin Foundations late in 2013. The plan was conceived the previous year when the faculty created a movie and screened it as a fundraising event by the Pilgrim Film Society club. Principal Cote, along with two English teachers, a music teacher, and a technology education teacher, were involved with filling out the application required to acquire the grant. With the money, the budget allowed eight iMac desktops with preloaded applications for appropriate classes, audio and camera equipment, lighting fixtures, microphones, and the like.

Consolidation era and sports renaissance (2011–present)

In late 2011, talks about consolidating Warwick's secondary schools surfaced. The committee reviewed options for the fates of the affected schools, and what strategies the department would apply to benefit unifying them. Some alternatives included closing two junior highs and sending all students to an old senior high, converting to a 7–12 model, or closing only one school. The school department already once considered 7–12 schools in the early 1980s according to a report by local television station WJAR, but faded into insignificance as times passed. The plans were put on hold until 2013, when the department's Long Term Facilities Planning Committee developed scenarios for a five-year plan on the futures of the secondary schools. Pilgrim's student population was one-third than it had in the late 1960s, as 1,021 were attending during the 2014 school year.

The following year, the school committee decided to close Aldrich and Gorton junior high schools and convert Vets into one middle school by the 2017 school year, officially known as "Alternative 5". The 7–12 plan for Pilgrim and Vets returned as well, but it was voted off prior the decision. The Long Term Facilities Planning Committee hired an independent consultant, Symmes Maini & McKee Associates, to study the entire district and develop plans, for $238,243. In October, the new feeder plan was established, where ten elementary schools are to attend the new Vets Middle School, and Pilgrim when the students reach ninth grade. Throughout the 2016 school year, Vets students and parents were given an inside look of what Pilgrim would resemble after the consolidation. Then-Vets principal Gerald Habershaw presented a PowerPoint for concerned parents, and was named principal once the two schools merged, replacing interim principal Pamela Bernardi.

On the first day of the "new" Pilgrim, traffic stopped in the middle of Warwick Avenue, and the street leading towards drop-off roads and back parking lots were congested and unorganized. Vets students found themselves unable to find their buses, and even police officers attempted to guide motorists, but with no success. Habershaw described the traffic jam as a "perfect storm". Some parents found alternate routes by dropping their children off at the nearby Holliman Elementary, which prompted administrators to consider opening a drop-off route there, but no developments occurred.

Today, the students of Pilgrim experienced what many consider a renaissance. The establishment of more clubs occurred as the teachers' union successfully negotiated a contract effective November 2017. A political involvement club, established by a 2019 graduate of the school and an English teacher, attracts diverse numbers of students on learning debates, gaining confidence, and meeting actual politicians to help keep the club running and discuss certain topics involving the government. However, the club saw no activity after 2018.

2022 Election Demolition and Replacement Ballot Measure

During the 2022 Midterm Elections, the City of Warwick introduced a local ballot measure that would have the city put aside $350 Million in bonds to demolish Pilgrim and Toll Gate High School and replace them with newer, more modern high school buildings. The ballot measure passed by a margin of 58.8% to 41.2% New facilities will be built at both school locations, including new athletic fields, a 750-seat auditorium, plus practice rooms and art studios. The new Pilgrim High School building is scheduled to be ready for the start of the 2027-2028 school year.

Demographics

Racial and special need demographic data as of the 2017–18 school year:

Extracurriculars and other activities

Clubs

Pilgrim offers various clubs that serve the hobbies of growing population of diverse students. Students, with the assistance of a teacher, can help form a club. In many cases, some organizations might form, only to die out in little time. Because of the infrequent updating of the official website, the following list might be inaccurate.

Academic decathlon

Art

Chess

Cheerleading (formerly known as the "Patri-Ettes")

Chorale

Class executive committees

Concert band

Drama (The Pilgrim Players)

Dungeons & Dragons

Environmental

Guitar

Lifesaver

Lifesaver CTE

Mock trial

Model legislature (mock government)

National Honor Society

Newspaper

Peer mentoring

Photography

Pilgrim Film Society

Ping-pong

Robotics

Unified Pilgrim Project

Studio 107 CTE

Activities and events

Throughout the year, Pilgrim hosts events to attract students, alumni, and residents alike. Most of the proceeds go to funding various after-school events and clubs. Fundraisers are periodically held to raise money for the clubs and senior projects. Both the junior and senior proms are held, always one week apart from each other. The senior After-Prom Extravaganza (commonly referred to as APE) was first celebrated in 2008 after two graduates of Pilgrim died in an accident involving a drunk driver. Pilgrim Idol is the official musical talent show of the school, with contestants judged by staff members and local radio station DJs. Another talent show, locally known as the Follies, is a showcase of comedic, musical, and other performing arts talent. Near the beginning of the final exam week, seniors decorate the sidewalks with chalk. The tradition originated at Vets, but was quickly adopted by Pilgrim in 2016.

Sports

As a member of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League, the Pilgrim Patriots was known in the 1970s for earning multiple division and state championships. By the end of the 1990s thru the 2010s, however, the Patriots suffered a period of time winning only a small number of championships. Since then, the Patriots found themselves successful again by the late 2010s. Athletic participation requires good academic standing. Students are taught that they represent the school as a whole while playing in sports.

Sports offered

Pilgrim offers sixteen sports for their students to have an opportunity to play in:

Baseball (boys only)

Basketball

Cheerleading

Cross country

Field hockey (girls only)

Golf (co-ed)

Gymnastics (girls only, in cooperation with Toll Gate)

Football (boys only)

Ice hockey

Lacrosse

Soccer

Softball (girls only)

Swimming

Tennis

Track and field (indoor and outdoor)

Volleyball

Wrestling (co-ed)

Unified basketball and volleyball are also offered, and its teams compete in the RIIL tournament. Rugby union is also offered, but it is not an official RIIL sport. Pilgrim is the first and so far the only public high school in the state to compete in rugby matches.

Sports championship history

Most of Pilgrim's championships were won in the 1970s and 2010s. Please note that this table may be incomplete. Perfect football season 12-0 2019

Notable alumni

For over fifty years, Pilgrim has taught over thousands of students, some of them gaining notability later in their lives, both locally and nationally. Noted alumni of the school include:

Scott Avedisian, former mayor of Warwick (1983)

Patrick Sheehan, PGA professional golfer (1987)

Chris Terreri, college All-American, Olympian, and two-time Stanley Cup champion (1982)

Dan Wheeler, professional baseball pitcher (1995)

James Woods, actor, Primetime Emmy Award winner, and Mike Toreno of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (1965)

Pete Gaynor, former Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and former Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security