Event Recap

PFA Benefit

The Parent/Faculty Association returned to hosting their signature event this spring, but with a new twist: moving from an auction format to a celebration of community with fun games and over a dozen DS-centric raffle items. The PFA Spring Celebration raised over $40,000 for student support, plus additional funds for parent activities and other designated projects on campus.

Over 200 members of the Derryfield community gathered on April 9 for a joyful night in Margaritaville, which featured beach-themed centerpieces, a tiki bar, and plenty of floral-print attire. A new addition this year included a DJ and dance floor, with many guests enjoying their favorite party tunes well into the night, creating a festive atmosphere for all.

Under the guidance of PFA co-presidents Erin Kerwin P’24, ’27 and Laurie Rilee P’25, plus committee members Sarah Beuerle P’23, ’27, Michelle Lanno P’27, and Kim Beekman P’27, the Spring Celebration kick-started the rejuvenation of the PFA and the Derryfield parent community. The DS-focused raffle items featured themed baskets from each class, including Family Game Night, Outdoor Adventures, and Beach Day. Traditional auction items, including front row seats at Commencement and the Eighth Grade Send-Off, were also raffled off this year to two lucky families.

Day of Giving

A big THANK YOU to our entire Derryfield community for making our 2021 Day of Giving a resounding success. In one day, October 20, the School received just over 300 gifts totaling $80,546!

The Derryfield Day of Giving is a special one, held annually, during which we ask the entire Derryfield community to connect, engage, and GIVE to support programs and people that are meaningful to you. Your Day of Giving gift supports the Derryfield Fund, which provides critical funding for all areas of the Derryfield experience—from arts and athletics to faculty development to facilities and technology upgrades, and so much more! Tuition does not cover the full Derryfield experience, and The Derryfield Fund contributions help to bridge that gap.

Parent Parties

After a couple of years with fewer opportunities for families to be on campus, Derryfield families were hungry for connection. Many expressed interest in getting to know each other and forging stronger relationships. To address this need, we held some informal get-togethers on campus in collaboration with the Parent/ Faculty Association. We gathered on three separate occasions with parents and guardians of middle school students, of students in grades nine and ten, and of students in grades eleven and twelve. Many people attended more than one event to meet the families of their multiple childrens’ classmates, and everyone enjoyed the opportunity to make new connections and catch up with people they hadn’t seen in a while. We plan to host similar gatherings this academic year, as the thirst for connection and community remains high. We thank everyone who joined us last year and hope to see you at a future event.

2021 Founders’ Scholar Eliza Lamont with 2022 Founders’ Scholar Jack Schroeder and Head of School Mary Halpin Carter on Founders’ Day.

Grandfriends’ & Founders’ Day

Head of School Dr. Mary Halpin Carter welcomed visitors, students, faculty and staff to the first in-person Grandfriends’ Day celebration since the fall of 2019. The assembly, which included the Founders’ Scholar Address, as well as musical performances by the choir and the band, was followed by an open house, where students guided their visitors around the campus, introducing them to their teachers, and showing off class projects and favorite haunts.

Dr. Carter opened with a speech that highlighted core strengths of the Derryfield educational philosophy: “Here at Derryfield, we are constantly thinking about the past and contemplating the future. We continually re-interpret the School’s mission to serve the children and graduates of today, to be ever better at inspiring bright, motivated students to be their best and to be exceptional members of any community. This dynamic thinking powered us through the last few years during the pandemic, and we have come through it as a stronger community.”

Dr. Carter then introduced Ellie Cochran ’69, past parent, past trustee, and current Trustee Emeritus. Cochran retold her own Derryfield history—she was one of the first students to attend—including her memories of the campus as it grew and her experiences as a long-time fundraiser for the School she has always loved and continues to support. Cochran noted that Derryfield is “all about the stories.”

The program shifted back to Dr. Carter, who gave an explanation of Founders’ Day. “Founders’ Day gives our School a moment to pause and think about the remarkable people who came together and started our school in 1964. Founders’ Day gives us time to reflect on the founding of our School, and each year a new Founders’ Scholar is named. The Peter and Ellie Freedman Founders’ Scholar Award is given to a junior who exhibits high scholarship, character, and contribution to the Derryfield community.”

The 2021 Founders’ Scholar, Eliza Lamont ’22, was next to the podium, with a speech that centered around the five songs that best defined her five years at Derryfield. In eighth grade, when Lamont pushed herself outside her comfort zone to “enter a new school with new teachers,” Learn to Fly by the Foo Fighters rang true. During her freshman year she sought solace in Overnight, by Maggie Rogers. Lamont joked that Sting’s words of advice (Don’t Stand So Close to Me) seemed especially relevant during her sophomore year, due to the arrival of COVID. Now in the final weeks of her senior year, Taylor Swift was capturing Lamont’s mood in It’s Time to Go, and Long Live

“These songs both deal with the idea of moving on. It’s Time to Go is more of a complete goodbye, of realizing that it’s time to move on with your life, that you’re ready for what’s next. This is how I’ve felt for most of my senior year. I’m ready for what’s next—Derryfield has prepared me, and I’m ready to learn to fly in a new place again.”

At the conclusion of the program, Lamont announced the name of the 2022 Founders’ Day Scholar, Jack Schroeder, whom his advisor characterized as, “ambitious, a good listener, curious, thoughtful, driven, competitive, and motivated.” As is tradition, Schroeder will give his reflection speech at the Spring 2023 Founders’ Day celebration.