If you sit on the steps of Pressly Hall and watch students walk from class to class, you will notice that none of them step on the seal in the middle of the plaza. This may feel like a coincidence, but it’s not. I knew that this was a strong Westminster tradition, and I wanted to know if there were others. I went to Middle School Bible teacher Jane Armstrong because of her long history with the school which includes being a faculty member, parent, student, and daughter of a faculty member who helped shape the school in its early days. Armstrong told me about many important Westminster traditions—like the tradition of not stepping on the seal, the Halloween Parade, and student leadership roles—that help bring the school community together and show how the school has changed over time.
The Westminster Seal
One important tradition at Westminster is the custom of not stepping on the school seal, which sits on Pressly Plaza. This tradition started when a group of Macaulay alumni wanted to honor Alice McAuley Pressly, the wife of Westminster’s founding president, Dr. Albert Vernon Pressly. Armstrong explained, “This school wouldn’t be Westminster if it hadn’t been for her. She worked tirelessly, right there shoulder-to-shoulder with her husband.” The seal was created as part of the plaza named after Alice Pressly, and over time, students and faculty adopted the practice of not stepping on it as a sign of respect for her significant contributions to the school’s founding and history.
Lower School Halloween Parade
Most middle schoolers are filled with excitement on the day of Halloween and ask their teachers to watch the parade. Armstrong remembers walking in Westminster’s Halloween Parade as a little girl, making it one of the school’s oldest traditions. “That goes back to the late ’50s or early ’60s,” she said. Back then, only the youngest students, pre-first through second grade, dressed up and paraded through the halls of Campbell and Askew, since The Lower School was composed of pre-first, first, and second graders. The parade faded for a time, but when The Lower School temporarily moved to Campbell, it moved back through the center of campus. “Everyone went, ‘Well, that was fun. Why don’t we do it down here?’” Armstrong said. Today, the tradition continues, bringing joy and connection across campus just as it did decades ago.
The Choral Benediction and the Alma Mater
Westminster students often sing the Alma Mater and the Choral Benediction at major assemblies and ceremonies. They each mark meaningful transitions in the life of a student. The Choral Benediction, sung in high school, begins with the words “The Lord bless you and keep you.” “Those words come from the book of Numbers, which means they are sacred in Judaism and in Christianity which I think is kind of cool,” said Armstrong. While the tune has changed over time, the lyrics have stayed the same. As for the Alma Mater, it holds deep personal significance for Armstrong: “The last thing that you do before you graduate, after the closing prayer, is sing the Alma Mater,” she said. “Which means a lot to me because my dad wrote it. So that’s sweet for me.”
Leadership Positions for Girls
Armstrong highlights Westminster’s long-standing commitment to female leadership, noting that “since the inception, positions of leadership for girls” have been intentionally carved out. While today it may seem obvious to have girls in leadership roles, Armstrong explains that in the 1950s and ’60s, this wasn’t the norm in many public schools, where student body or class presidents were typically boys by default. Westminster’s unique history, evolving from a girls’ school alongside a boys’ school, ensured that leadership positions were always structured in parallel for both genders. “There was always a girl’s class president, vice president… and the same for the boys,” Armstrong said. This intentional design “preserved women in positions of leadership,” becoming part of the “school’s DNA” and evolving over time.
May Day Queen
Armstrong also shared stories of traditions that eventually faded away. Westminster once celebrated a May Day Queen tradition that highlighted girls who were leaders in their class. The May Queen had a court made up of representatives chosen to embody different qualities such as nobility, ability, playfulness, athleticism, and service. “They had one person to represent nobility, one who represented ability, one who represented play,” Armstrong explained, adding that the tradition originated from North Avenue Presbyterian School and continued at Westminster until the late 1960s or around 1970. While it felt “very sweet,” Armstrong noted that like many traditions, it had its natural end and “came to the end of its arc.”
Mardi Gras
Westminster also held a spirited Mardi Gras competition among 9th through 12th grade girls, featuring floats, skits, and ticket sales to raise funds for the school’s foreign exchange program. Armstrong fondly remembers how “there was healthy competition between the girls” and everyone got involved in building floats and performing skits. One of her favorite Mardi Gras themes was from her junior year, called “The Ages of Man,” where each class represented a different stage of life. The freshmen’s float showcased “School Days” with a cute inchworm, while the sophomores had a rocking stork symbolizing infancy. The seniors chose the “Age of Lovers,” featuring a beautiful swan. Armstrong’s own junior class depicted “Old Age” with a snowy, dead tree stump float, a less glamorous but creative choice. Though participation eventually declined and the exchange program changed, Mardi Gras remains a cherished tradition that fostered school spirit and community involvement.