Dr. Ashley Bowling reflects on final Flight Ceremony as FMS principal

FLORENCE, Ala. — Florence Middle School held its annual Flight Ceremony on Thursday for its class of rising eighth graders. The event serves as a year-end celebration for the students as they transition to high school.

FMS Principal Dr. Ashley Bowling said the tradition began as part of the district's current strategic plan to celebrate student transitions from school to school.

For Bowling, the occasion was bittersweet, as it was her final Flight Ceremony as principal before she begins a new role as Florence City Schools Director of Special Education.

"I'm also a parent, and so I had a lot of mixed emotions today," Bowling said. "It's really exciting to see the ceremony and know that this is something that we started as a tradition just a few years ago, that obviously, by the crowd, the community has caught on to, so it's truly an honor."

In a way, the Flight Ceremony serves as a preview of the students' high school graduation.

"It's to let them know, 'hey, it's the real deal; you're in secondary now, and graduation is the endgame,'" Bowling said.

Bowling will officially begin her new role on July 1, 2026.

To see photos from the ceremony, click here.

By Jeremy Jackson