Grandparents and Special Friends Return to Kent Place

On Tuesday, November 22, more than 300 visitors came to campus to spend the morning at school with their loved ones. This joyful occasion was Grandparents and Special Friends Day, a tradition that kicks off the Thanksgiving holiday. Students from Junior Pre-K through Grade Twelve positively beamed when they saw their visitors — and the beaming was mutual.

Green Key student ambassadors eagerly waited on all corners of campus to welcome guests and direct them to the dining hall, where the visitors enjoyed breakfast together, heard from Head of School Dr. Jennifer Galambos, and met Kim Walker, Neisha Payne, and Nicole Hager, Kent Place’s Division Directors.

Next, everyone filed into the Field House to enjoy a beloved Kent Place tradition, the Thanksgiving Assembly. The assembly featured a cornucopia of beautiful performances from the Pre-K class, the Hummingbirds, the Primary School Singers, the Middle School Singers, Dance Ensemble, Chamber Dancers, Chamber Singers, Chorale, and the Pep Squad.

 The entire room then sang the Alma Mater before heading off to spend time in classrooms and the hallways with their students. 

Said Ava Shinn ’30: “I’ve learned at Kent Place that traditions keep our community close and connected. One of my favorites is today — I get to share my schoolwork and classroom with my aunt Nina.”

Jahnavi Ponnolu ’27 thought about being kind: “Kindness has an impact like dropping a pebble into a pond: just by making one action, you could create five ripples, which push kindness out into the community . . . Kindness from my family and peers has affected my experience throughout Middle School.”

“We all share a certain pride in coming to Kent Place every day,” said Elizabeth Miller ’23, “spending time with each other, often with people we'd never expect, and leaving a better person because of it. So as we all head off to begin our Thanksgiving holiday, may we remember to be grateful for the good fortune that brought each of us here to the Kent Place family.”

We hope you enjoy this slideshow of photos, which we think captures the joy experienced by generations during this wonderful, special morning.