At exactly 10:24 a.m. on Thursday morning, the PPCHS seniors rushed out of the classrooms they were gathering in to meet up at the fountain that stands in the middle of the campus. This officially marked the final school day for the Class of 2024 seniors and the most awaited moment to participate in an indelible part of Charter’s culture—shirt throwing.
Once gathered at the fountain, the seniors were met with a grand set-up to help make their final minutes in high school memorable. As the students stood by the trees in anticipation of the long awaited shirt toss, there were hidden confetti poppers and a countdown waiting for them.
“3! 2! 1!” As the final number echoed throughout the crowds of seniors, they each carefully dipped their shirts in the buckets of water provided, and tossed their shirts. Collectively, students’ uniforms covered the trees surrounding the fountain, and they would soon be adorned with these colorful “decorations” for months to come.
As each senior intricately tossed their former uniform shirts onto the trees alongside their friends, waves of emotions overwhelmed each and every student. This glorious event signified the end of their journey at Charter. Senior Camila Correa enthusiastically shares, “As someone who has watched the shirt throwing every year, it was so special for me to finally participate in this tradition. I had always looked forward to this point of the school year and had a feeling it would be one of my favorite senior events, which it was. It felt like the end of a coming-of-age movie!”
This beloved Charter tradition began with the inaugural class of 2003. Since this class was the first graduating class at PPCHS, they attended a different high school during their freshman year. Joining the Pines Charter family meant these students had to wear uniforms unlike the other high schools they previously attended.
Students found these expectations to be quite inconvenient leading them to be rebellious protestors. This gave life to the senior prank of Class of 2003 where seniors took off their uniform shirts and threw them into the tree directly to the northwest of the fountain. Since this day, this tradition has become a symbolic event that Charter students look forward to participating in on their last day as PPCHS students.
Senior Katheline Reyes exclaims, “Being able to finally participate in the shirt throwing was so surreal. It still doesn’t feel real to me that we’re actually done with high school. To me this tradition means the end of our high school career. A final exciting and fun goodbye to our high school.”
As the class of 2024 ends their chapter here at Pembroke Pines Charter, they treasure the experiences and memories they have collected over the years. In joining together one last time, they throw their shirts to symbolize the end to their high school career and step out excitedly to begin their new journey. 
