Welcome Back, Kent Place: A Week of Tradition, Celebration, and New Beginnings

It was an amazing — and busy! — first week at Kent Place as the community kicked off the school’s 130th academic year. Read on for a recap of some highlights.

Monday, September 2: Happy Labor Day! All was quiet on campus as anticipation for the academic year hung in the air. In a short time, Kent Place School would once again be buzzing with the sounds of its community coming together.

Tuesday, September 3: So long, summer! New students and current students in Preschool, Kindergarten, sixth grade, and ninth grade toured the hallways, met friendly faces, and learned the ropes during Orientation Day. Athletics kicked off the official start of the season’s competition with opening matches on the tennis courts, with more to follow from all of the fall season teams. In the evening, seniors gathered on graduation lawn for the traditional Senior Sunset, reconnecting and regaling one another with summer stories as the sun dipped below the horizon, uniting them for their final year at Kent Place. 

Wednesday, September 4: Welcome back! The first day of school began with a rush of excitement (and a few nerves), as students navigated new classrooms, met with Advisory, and greeted familiar faces. Seniors added tradition and warmth to the morning as they met students and faculty with homemade signs, loud cheering, and lots of green and gold pride. Opening Convocation left all feeling inspired about the year ahead. Did we mention it was Kent Place’s 130th birthday? As Dr. Galambos said at Opening Convocation, “That’s a reason to celebrate — and a lot of candles!” And as if the day weren’t exciting enough, an unexpected visitor strolled across campus just before lunchtime. It was a large deer, antlers and all: one of Chumley’s neighborhood pals, perhaps?

Thursday, September 5: Smile for the camera! Upper and Middle School students, in addition to faculty and staff, said cheese (maybe not) and smiled (definitely) for their annual Kent Place ID photo. The Upper School continued rehearsals for the fall musical, Into the Woods, and parents walked the hallways, met teachers, and explored classrooms at Upper School Back to School Night. 

Friday, September 6: All together now! Middle and Upper School divisions gathered for their first official Morning Meetings of the year. In the evening, Upper School musicians came together for an orchestral retreat in the Great Room and Music Wing, tuning their instruments and reconnecting in the spirit of harmony.

Want to keep in the know about all of the happenings at Kent Place? Follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and keep an eye out for school news throughout the year. 

Here’s to a wonderful year for all!