On Tuesday, August 26, the KO community gathered in Roberts Theater for the 36th Annual Convocation ceremony. Head of School Tom Dillow, Head of the Upper School Lisa Loeb, and Head of the Middle School Ann Sciglimpaglia each spoke, officially starting the new school year.
Following tradition, eighth-grade Leader Xander Gingeleski spoke to the school about his KO experience and what he hopes for the year to come. After that, senior Speaker Olivia Pilecki also shared her thoughts on this upcoming school year. “I always think student voices should be the ones that are emphasized and prioritized when the community comes together,” Mrs. Loeb said. “It has more meaning and it carries more impact because you’re hearing it from a peer.”
The presentation of flags was introduced by Ms. Sciglimpaglia and Mrs. Loeb. The flag for the Class of 2032 was presented by sixth graders Teddy McAlenney and Nora McDonald. The Class of 2026 flag was presented by seniors Hadley Hersh and Justin Morle. Each graduating class has its class flag displayed on the Senior Green during Senior Week at the end of the school year, and each flag is preserved for seven years until Senior Week, when it can be flown over the Senior Green.
The Senior Class shields were presented by Form Six President Dorian Ciscel and Form Six Vice-President Arthur Tittman, who will later engrave their initials into them, along with those of the rest of their class.
This year, Mrs. Loeb and Ms. Sciglimpaglia aimed to share the context behind the school’s class flag and class shield traditions.
Next, junior Ellory Goodhue and senior Connor Ellsworth introduced the guest speaker, Todd Andrews ’91, one of the architects in charge of creating the new Community Commons. He inspired many students to push themselves this year and take advantage of their time at KO.
“The best thing for students is to understand that the learning or the experiences they have here have a wider effect on their communities, ” Mrs. Loeb said. She added that having Mr. Andrews come in both as a guest speaker and as a partner in the Eco-Design IMPACT class last year was beneficial for KO students to see a KO alum who has had an impact on the community he grew up in. “I think anytime we can help our students put their learning into context that is bigger than school, it’s not just about getting grades at KO, it’s about all the other things that are going on in this world,” she said. “We don’t want students just to think critically here; we want them to think critically for the rest of their lives.”
To conclude the Convocation ceremony, the entire school participated in singing the school song, “Hail Kingswood Oxford,” written by longtime KO orchestra director Richard Chiarappa.
When students were dismissed from the assembly, they headed over to the new Community Commons Green and Patio for donuts.
Overall, Convocation was and continues to be a really nice opportunity to welcome everyone back to school. We can’t wait to see what our Wyverns will accomplish in the year ahead!
