Tributes Abound at Eighth-Grade Graduation
About 48 hours before we bid farewell to the Upper School Class of 2018, another joyous graduation celebration took place on campus—this time, in honor of the Class of 2022!
On the last Thursday of the semester, Middle School faculty, family members, and students gathered in Ridgway Auditorium to celebrate our eighth-grade students, marking their transition to high school this fall.
As each eighth-grader walked onto the Ridgway stage, he or she was accompanied by a mini-slideshow of childhood photos and a voiceover of a favorite memory from Middle School. Once at the podium, the students spoke with confidence and clarity—about personal and academic growth throughout their Middle School experience; of the lasting impact of the annual class trips; of their gratitude for faculty or family members who supported and mentored them.
The Middle School choir performed several songs, and awards for community service and reading were handed out—after which a group of students performed a specially choreographed swing dance, showcasing the skills developed during their REV program. In a touching tribute, all seventh-grade students paid one-word compliments to every eighth-grader—“adventurous,” “innovative,” “ineffable” among them.
Outside the auditorium, the Ridgway Lobby was filled with an array of posters and displays showcasing eighth-graders’ capstone projects. The students readily answered questions and explained the details of their work, which ranged from an exploration of the Reggio Emilia approach to preschool education and the production of “pedal power” to building birdhouses and creating a mountain biking course on the Principia campus.
At the very end of the celebration, students and faculty—and Head of School Travis Brantingham (US’94, C’98)—honored outgoing K–8 principal Dr. Kim Ott and thanked her for her leadership and support over the last three years.