A longstanding steelworkers’ tradition is coming to Wayland High School this week. The last structural beam of the new school will be hoisted into place during a “topping off” ceremony during homeroom on Tuesday, November 30.

The beam will be signed by students, faculty, and construction workers, and topped with a small pine tree.

On Monday, the whitewashed steel beam will be placed on the grass next to the building site, across from the bike rack. Students and faculty can sign it all day on Monday and on Tuesday morning.

Dean of Students Scott Parseghian would like to remind students, “Be appropriate; this will be there forever.”

Lauren E. Slaven, the assistant project superintendent, explained that the ceremony, “symbolizes that you successfully erected a project, without any death or injury during the erection process.”

“For the steel workers is a huge thing, that no one died on it while the steel was going up, it was successful, they’re done, and they’re done on time,” said Parseghian.

CORRECTION: A typo was published in the quote above. It is while, not wile. Updated on November 29, 2010 at 3:41 PM.

Eilif Mikkelsen, student liaison to the building project, added, “This is the first of hopefully a few…events that will hopefully tie the current student body to the new building.”

The ceremony follows a longstanding precedent. According to Peter Wood, an anthropologist at Boston University, “topping off” ceremonies have been common in America since the late 19th century, and similar ceremonies have been held as far back as 700 AD.

Next in the construction process is the pouring of cement. Cement has already been poured on the first and second floors of the future academic building, and insulating white plastic has been installed so that work can continue straight through the winter.

According to Slaven and Parseghian, the project is on or ahead of schedule and will most likely be completed on time, during the summer of next year.