June 29, 2011:  Several large white tents were pitched on the front lawn of The Bronxville School this past week, long after the June 18th high school graduation was over.  How come?  The answer has a story.

It seems that Bronxville School mom Mariellen Carpenter, a Bronxville graduate, herself, was struck by the contrast between graduation ceremonies held outside on the school's front lawn, as is tradition, and the ones moved inside because of bad weather.

"The ceremony is so lovely when it's held outside with parents and friends gathered on the front lawn," Carpenter said.  "But when they have to move inside to the auditorium, things get very cramped and stuffy.  For starters, there is no air conditioning.  Moreover, some family members and friends can't attend because of the limited seating.  The unfortunate graduates sure get shortchanged," she lamented.

Knowing that her daughter Nicole and other seniors scheduled to graduate this year could end up in this plight, Carpenter decided to take matters into her own hands.  Since she couldn't control the weather (although she's been known to move mountains), the only option was to erect tents.

Buying tents, she soon learned, didn't make sense because there was no storage space for them at school.  So renting them was the way to go.  Much to her delight she found a company in Eastchester (A & B Tent Company) that was willing to cut a great deal.

The school was given the option to use the tents on high school graduation night (Saturday, June 18) with the deadline for deciding so the Thursday preceding it, or to use them the following Wednesday and Thursday when the 8th grade and 5th grade ceremonies were scheduled.

Since the weather forecast on the Thursday before graduation was for sunny skies, the decision was made not to use the tents.  Good decision!  The sun shone brightly, allowing the graduation ceremony to take place on the front lawn, just as Carpenter (and a good many others) had hoped.

And, quite fortunately, just in the nick of time the tents were pitched on Tuesday evening ready to protect the graduating 8th graders from the downpour that occurred on Wednesday and the 5th graders from the downpour that occurred, again, on Thursday.

"The PTA has signed on to pay for the rental fees for two years," Carpenter explained, "and Dr. Quattrone couldn't have been nicer in working with us."

All in all, it was a great way to defeat the rain gods and a fine tribute to one mom on a mission.

Pictured here:  Tents erected on the front lawn of The Bronxville School.

Photo by A. Warner