On Thursday, Feb. 16, the seniors gathered as a class for a special lunch to celebrate 100 days until graduation.
The celebration was originally intended to be a breakfast, but due to recent norovirus protocols, it was held outside of Alumni Hall during lunch. The advancement office along with input from the senior Student Government leaders worked hard to plan this annual tradition.
The advancement office decorated tables lined outside with black and red tablecloths, and balloons floated around while seniors enjoyed lunch.
Lunch featured pizza, a variety of sandwich wraps, and different types of juices. The students enjoyed this delicious meal while socializing outside with their friends. “It was a really nice day out, and I’m glad we were able to come together as a form to celebrate our achievements so far,” senior Alina Vaughn said. “The pizza was really yummy, and it was exciting to have an outdoor lunch rather than a breakfast to switch things up a little bit.”
While the seniors enjoyed their meal, Head of School Thomas Dillow spoke about the importance of enjoying the next 100 days on campus. The students appreciated Mr. Dillow’s wise words. “Mr. Dillow spoke about the importance of our last 100 days,” senior Alyssa Temkin said, “and it was really inspiring to hear that I should cherish and enjoy my last 100 days at KO and not be afraid to try new things and take on new challenges.”
Later, Associate Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Frances Morris encouraged the seniors to think about what they wanted their class gift to the school to be. The seniors are donating benches as their class gift.
Following the remarks, the seniors each wrote future letters to themselves which they will open at their five-year reunion. This allowed the seniors the opportunity to reflect on their time at KO and think about their goals for the future. “I felt that this was the perfect way of having everyone reflect at once,” senior Jack Gold said, “and talk about fun times we’ve had together as we all wrote them down to be remembered again.”
To culminate the celebration, the seniors took a photo on the steps of Alumni Hall and each received a mug with “100 days” written on it along with the KO logo.
With the school year winding down, the breakfast reminded the seniors to cherish the time they have left at KO. The seniors were able to reflect on their time at KO and look forward to exciting upcoming events. “I’m really looking forward to senior spring,” senior Mckenzie Campbell said. “Even though we have less than 100 days left of high school, there are still so many events like prom and Class Night this spring, and I’m excited to share those moments with the rest of the senior class.”
This event was extra special for Jack because he has been at KO since sixth grade. “The 100-day lunch was a perfect way to mark the beginning of the end,” he said. “Given that I have been a member of the KO community for the past seven years, I cherished this moment knowing that my hard work has led to my success as a KO student, and the 100-day lunch was the perfect way for me to begin my retrospective view on my middle and upper school career.”
Thanks to the dedication of the advancement team, this event allowed the seniors to spend time together before graduation and look forward to the rest of the year.
