
Contributed Photo
Student Body VP Kelti Johnson Stucos and student body president Zachary Braca had the mighty task of selecting a second rock for Seymour High School.
SEYMOUR — A rock is just a rock, right?
Not if that rock belongs to Seymour High School’s senior class. That’s when the rock becomes a symbol of Wildcat pride.
That sense of pride and school spirit is coming back to SHS in a big way this spring. That’s because the Class of 2021, working with the school administration and their class advisor, managed to secure a six-ton rock that will serve as the school’s new symbol of pride for generations of students to come.
“”I am so excited that our student council working together with our administration has been able to make this a possibility this year, especially after the difficult year our students have had due to COVID-19,” said class advisor/school counselor Michelle Pinho.
SHS has had a school rock for decades, but the current one located on Gesek Field has become less visible over the years due to trees growing in and several renovations to the building. The fields also obscure it from view, according to principal James Freund.
The new rock, Pinho said, will be situated at the top of the school driveway in a grassy area next to a big pine tree. Students, staff and visitors alike will be able to see the senior rock as they drive up Wildcat Way.

The original student rock, which is now considered an alumni rock. It’s become less visible as the campus changed over the years. A second rock is being installed at the high school entrance.
“The Seymour High School rock has a legacy in the Valley and I am happy that our students are able to add to that legacy by starting a new senior rock and dedicating the current rock as the alumni rock,” Pinho said.
The existing rock will remain in place, and will be decorated by seniors just before they become SHS alumni during the week of graduation, according to Freund.
Seymour High School Student Council President Zachary Braca said a survey was sent out to SHS alumni gauging their input on getting a new rock, while keeping the existing one, and the response was overwhelmingly in favor of the plan.
The new rock is being donated by longtime Seymour business Haynes Construction. A‑Quick Pick Crane Services of Derby also donated their services to deliver the rock later this spring. Braca and some of his fellow student council officers visited Haynes with Freund and Pinho last December to pick out the perfect rock. They chose a 13,000-pound beauty with a large flat surface for decorating.
Braca can’t wait for the rock to arrive.
“For me it’s more than just a rock; it’s the symbolism behind it,” Braca said. “It recognizes our 12 years through the Seymour school system and all of the memories and all of our past experiences, some which we’re missing out on because of COVID. The rock is really about unity, too, and how we’ll all be together on graduation day, which is huge for us.”
Braca said students are coming up with some creative ways to decorate the rock, which may include adoring it with paw prints and seniors’ hand prints.
“No matter what design we come up with, we’ll all have a part in it,” Braca said.