Traditions Old and New Mark 2016 Closing Exercises
On Wednesday, June 15, 64 eighth and ninth grade graduates accepted diplomas, along with hugs and handshakes from Head of School Larry Griffin, during Shore’s 79th Closing Exercises.
In his address to the assembled audience of family members, alumni, trustees, and parents of alumni, Griffin said, “Graduates, you have amazing opportunities before you—you may achieve greatness and recognition in the field and profession of your choice; you may even become a world leader.”
Graduation Student Speaker Catrina Caruso, a varsity athlete, scholar, and member of this year’s close-knit seven-student ninth grade, echoed Griffin’s hopes: “We are about to depart on new adventures, heading out to new schools, to meet new people. It is fun to think of where we will be 15 years from now. In 15 years perhaps one of us will be a successful hedge fund manager, a second will be an award-winning biotech researcher and robotics designer; perhaps another will be a successful entrepreneur, or designer or architect or the next Xander Bogaerts. Maybe I’ll be on my way to finishing my residency in pediatric care at my dream school, Stanford. Whatever we become and wherever we go, I know that some part of it will be the result of our challenging and rewarding 9th grade year together. I can’t wait to see where life takes everybody.”
And yet, Caruso reflected, the most important part of Shore she’ll take with her is having learned “so much about what makes a group work well… and what gets in the way. As a class of seven people, we learned quickly that there's nothing that can be kept a secret. If one person knows something, then everybody knows it. If one person is having a bad day, we all have a bad day. It was challenging at times to be our best and to stay on good terms, but as our journey is ending, we all realize what we have learned about acceptance, forgiveness, and friendship.”
Head of School Griffin acknowledged the same sentiment in his own closing remarks, when he urged students to think not just of their next step, but of their entire lives; he referred to the school’s Community Code, which holds every member of the community to values such as honesty, openness, and respect: “I hope your legacy is based upon the tenets of the Shore Community Code, and especially on our commitment to be kind. When we say ‘I will be caring and thoughtful of others in my words and actions,’ it is my fervent hope that we mean this sincerely and that we will set the standard for treating everyone in this world the way we wish to be treated by others. There is no substitute for kindness. Let kindness guide your thinking and your actions and the world will be a better place.”
Throughout the ceremony in Shore’s Howard Gymnasium, Griffin recounted highlights of each and every one of the 57 eighth grade graduates’ character and school career. These carefully crafted tributes, a hallmark of Shore’s Closing Exercises, were complemented by other traditions, some traceable to Shore’s founding in 1936. Invited to present roses to their parents, graduates broke ranks during the event to walk into the audience to share a moment with family, and longtime Shore community members were acknowledged with bouquets.
New traditions mingled with the time-honored on Shore’s graduation day this year. For the first time, the ninth grade graduates were honored as a group on stage together. They had been recognized with individual tributes from Griffin at last year's Closing Exercises as eighth graders—the first time the entire eighth grade class, including those returning to Shore for ninth grade, was graduated together.
For their part, this year's eighth grade graduates—girls attired in white lace dresses and boys in blue blazers—held to tradition by arriving well before the ceremonies to receive white flowers: each girl chose a long-stemmed white calla lily, while each boy accepted a white rose boutonniere.
But in a brand-new Shore tradition, ninth grade graduates wore pale blue; delicate blue delphiniums were held by each girl, and a blue pocket square was worn by each boy. Blue was also added to the closing ceremony to distinguish eighth grade graduates who would return in the fall as Shore ninth graders. Many students choose Shore’s signature ninth grade program seeking a level of individualized study and experiential learning unavailable elsewhere in the region.
For their part, this year's eighth grade graduates—girls attired in white lace dresses and boys in blue blazers—held to tradition by arriving well before the ceremonies to receive white flowers: each girl chose a long-stemmed white calla lily, while each boy accepted a white rose boutonniere.
But in a brand-new Shore tradition, ninth grade graduates wore pale blue; delicate blue delphiniums were held by each girl, and a blue pocket square was worn by each boy. Blue was also added to the closing ceremony to distinguish eighth grade graduates who would return in the fall as Shore ninth graders. Many students choose Shore’s signature ninth grade program seeking a level of individualized study and experiential learning unavailable elsewhere in the region.
The Closing Exercises concluded with the traditional benediction, sung beautifully by the graduates, who were joined by many alumni, faculty, and staff singers present in the audience. Earlier, eighth and ninth grade students had performed a graduation song of their own choosing, paying tribute to Shore’s vibrant culture of music, drama, and public performance. As graduates recessed, they each leaped to slap a painted hand above the gymnasium doorway, receiving a symbolic “high-five” from graduates before them.
Students and their families then gathered for congratulations from faculty, who shared reminiscences and well wishes for next fall and beyond. Graduating ninth grade and many eighth grade students will move on to high schools and college preparatory schools including Brooks School, The Governor’s Academy, Middlesex School, Phillips Academy, Phillips Exeter Academy, Pingree School, Proctor Academy, and St. John’s Preparatory School.
This year's ninth grade graduates of the Class of 2016 were: Victoria Carlson, Michael Carroll, Catrina Caruso, Camden Greenwood, Ellie Greer, John Makowski, Zachary Rogers.
This year's eighth grade graduates of the Class of 2017 were: Ethan Ambrosh, Liam Arce, Elizabeth Ayer, Kate Bacigalupo, Anoosha Barua, Daniel Blundin, Abi Borggaard, Emma Borggaard, Josiah Brown, Juliana Cervizzi, Alba Clarke, Guy Collison, Matty Dearborn, Gabriel Driscoll, Leo Edo, Jane Ellis, Jeffrey Feng, Eric Fotta, Phoebe Goltra, Ali Graham, Jared Haight, TJ Hamilton, Lillie Harrison, Ilana Hayes, Ryan Hayes, Geoffrey Herring, Madeline Hesse, Adin Horrocks, Garrett Hughey, Garrison Jorge, Virginia Joyce, Caroline Kagan, Anders Kearney, Helen Langer, Ryan Lynch, Sofia Makowska, Max Murray, Alexandria Nunes, Claudia Pollock, Costas Savignano, Alexander Sawhney, Gwen Schatz, John Schimmel, Ethan Smith, Sarah Smith, Jack Tilzey, Bella Toran, Josh Tripp, Hadley Vareschi-Woelfel, Ella Waxman, Oliver Weissleder, Gabriel West, Harrison Wilson, Kiara Wilson, Sam Winchester, Meredyth Worden, Evan Ypsilantis.
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Ninth grade graduates chose blue
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Boys wore white rose boutonnieres
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Girls held calla lilies
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Eighth graders assemble
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The ninth grade poses for their photo
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Graduation Student Speaker Catrina Caruso
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A crowded Greentop
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Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
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