17 minute read
Class of 2020: This Is Your Moment
CLASS OF 2020
This Is Your Moment
—Aaron Cooper, Head of School
Due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, Country School’s 2020 Closing Exercises were held outdoors on the football field with only Upper School faculty and ninth grade families in attendance (in designated “tailgate-style” parking spots). Despite — or perhaps because of — the unique circumstances, it was an extraordinary celebration. The following are remarks made by Head of School Aaron Cooper to the Class of 2020.
I am proud and overjoyed
and a little, well, a little overcome to be here with you today. So welcome, Class of 2020. Welcome to your parents and siblings and family members who have packed into your car with you. Welcome to your friends and loved ones who join on the livestream, hopefully safe and healthy wherever you are. Welcome to our Upper School faculty who are here; welcome to our other faculty who lined the processional and now watch this from over that rock wall over there. Welcome to other members of the Class of 2020 who join to celebrate you, their former classmates. And welcome to all our other friends, colleagues and community members who join to watch virtually today. We are all here together to celebrate you, Class of 2020, and to mark this most important and unique moment in time.
You have finally made it, and I am delighted to celebrate this moment with you. Today, as a closing exercise, we celebrate and we also reflect. Just like the title of our yearbooks, Beginners’ End, we mark time here at this milestone as the end of a beginning and the beginning of a next. We celebrate your growth and your achievements and who you are and what you will do. 1 2
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“As I have said many times over the years, choosing Country School for our family was the best life-changing decision that my wife, Claire, and I have ever made. It is truly a special place. On behalf of all of us — Claire, and our children Brandon ’12, Kyle ’13, Carolina ’17 and Cece, I thank you all for 18 wonderful years.”
—Randy Salvatore, President, Board of Trustees, 2017–2020
Opposite Page.
Rett Zeigler (with parents Eric and
Stephanie Bowling Zeigler ’81) waved to members of the faculty and staff lining the route of the 2020 Closing
Exercises car parade. 1. Ravi and Riya Punjabi, Sonia Gidwani 2. Megan Mitchell 3. Kyle ’13, Claire, Cece, Randy, Carolina ’17 and Brandon ’12 Salvatore 4. Maren Frey delivered the Class Salutation in which she welcomed those in attendance, acknowledging the unique circumstance in which the program was taking place — socially distanced in a semi-circle of automobiles around a podium on one of the school’s athletic fields. “We are a class that has been brought together in ways none of us could have ever imagined,” she said.
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Country School did a spectacular job
honoring the ninth grade today and I hope everyone involved feels proud. The speeches, the vision, communication, the last-minute change to allow the kids to sit together, it all reflects a massive amount of care and concern, along with smart and nimble leadership and teamwork. So Country School, BRAVO! It was perfect in every way, and it was so incredibly special for us and for our family who watched from Massachusetts and Arizona.”—The LeBaron Family
6 And we reflect on all you have experienced and all we have gone through together.
For now is not the time for the standard advice you often hear at graduations. Stand up for what you believe. Find your voice and use it often. Dare to be all you can be. Err in the direction of kindness. Live with life. Be courageous. Etc. Now, to be clear, all of that advice is valuable. I believe in it, and I imagine you do too. I have even built previous graduation speeches around themes like those. I am sure I will do so again. But not this year.
No, this year we have faced too much together. We have been shut into our homes trying to do our part to keep people healthy for months, and in the last several weeks, we have grieved and marched and debated and reflected and discussed the role of systemic racism in our country as we have seen too many black Americans killed and harassed.
You are living history, right now. You are experiencing this. And you are shining through and bringing your truest and best selves during this as you so often do. So today, I will talk about you. For I believe that you have inside of you, already, the wherewithal to make a difference. I have learned a lot about you, particularly this spring. And I want to share some of what I have learned.
Let’s start, as we do any good day, with breakfast. I learned that you like routine. Even as you have had more time for breakfast than when school is in session, one of you spoke for others by sharing: ‘My breakfast is the same; I have been eating oatmeal every day for two years and I don’t intend to change now.’ I learned that you like variety. In terms of music, you told me that you like country, 2000s pop, show tunes, lesser-known rap artists, pop when it is not overplayed, and movie soundtracks. Can you imagine a Class of 2020 playlist given that variety?! Yikes. My head would be spinning.
I learned that you like connecting. You told me about your favorite places on campus. You mentioned the
stairwells with the painted bricks in Stevens, the Library, the Alumni Commons, the wood shop, the locker rooms, several individual classrooms in Stevens and the cafeteria, especially at snack time. You also mentioned many outdoor spots — Kyle’s Court, the pond outside Mrs. Clemenza’s office, the picnic tables outside the dining hall, the soccer field, the baseball field, and generally, anywhere you can pet a dog. But more than the places, you shared your memories of being there with others.
And I learned about your deeper qualities. In sharing the lessons you are taking with you as you graduate, you told us: • NCCS taught you to think outside the box and that all problems can be solved if you try hard enough. • That you learned to always have an open-mind and to be accepting of everyone. • The value of teamwork and that the best memories are not determined by what you are doing, but by who you are doing them with. • NCCS really made school about learning and gaining an understanding of the world rather than just getting good grades and passing tests. • You’ve learned to take every chance you get. • You have learned how important it is to be confident in learning. NCCS truly lives up to its motto of being a risk-taking, mistake-making community. I have never been judged for answering a question incorrectly and this freedom has allowed me to grow as a person. I have also learned that it is possible to turn almost any situation into a positive one. 11
5. Brooke, Alexandra ’17, Katie, Emma ’18 and Sloane LeBaron 6. Molly, Henry, Ashley, Alex and
Elise Scott 7. Daisy Fichthorn 8. Benjamin ’15, Nick ’17, Luke, Elizabeth and Peter Sosnow 9. Huett and Vivian Nelson 10. Sasha and Cassie Coughlin 11. Jasper Engle 12. Cassie Warren 13. Ryland Strine 14. Members of the Zeigler, Warren,
Scott and Strine families observed the proceedings from the comfort of cars and pickup trucks at the socially distanced, outdoor ceremony.
“Thank you for all of your hard work to make today special for the ninth grade students and their families. It seriously exceeded all of my expectations! It was incredibly special and memorable in all of the best ways, which is exactly what we hoped for!”—The Strine Family
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“I am speechless. Closing Exercises were spectacular in every way and exceeded my highest expectations. You and your team TRULY went above and beyond to give these kids and families a day to remember. I have not felt this kind of happiness, despite the tears, which were happy tears, in a while! It was perfect and I know it took months, weeks and hours to plan. I have said before and I will say it again, we are SO incredibly lucky and thank goodness we have a few more years there with our youngest!!!”—The Herdeg Family
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ALUMNI
Three of our 2020 graduates are children of alumni: Kent Findlay ’80, Stephanie Bowling Zeigler ’81 and Cara Burnham Herdeg ’86.
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What a splendid day! How lucky
were we (parents and graduates) to get such a relaxed, joyful event!! The ‘Tailgate Graduation,’ as it has been dubbed, really put the country in Country School and will be a special memory for years to come. I loved it.”—Kent Findlay ’80
19 • NCCS has prepared you with the confidence to speak up, advocate for yourself and to persevere with a positive attitude. • You have learned many lessons at NCCS: to be kind, to love to learn, but most importantly, to be yourself. • NCCS gave you the self-confidence to stand up for yourself and for the world. • Over the last 12 years, Country School has taught you to be a curious student, an engaged participant, a thoughtful classmate and a confident person who is ready for any challenge.
In your own words, what incredible introspection and wisdom.
Altogether, I learned that your interests, your beliefs, your personalities, the lessons you have gleaned, even your breakfast foods — they are so different. And yet you are bound by many similar qualities, and you have shown those over and over.
In the passionate way you debate real issues — with respect and openness even in the face of disagreement. In the way you defend one another and stand up for one another and pick one another up when they are down.
In the way you laugh and play. In your indomitable spirit, filled with conviction and élan. And, frankly, in the way you worked this spring, showing up for class, completing your work, staying engaged and interested, even though you had many reasons not to — after all,
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“Thank you all for everything you did to celebrate the ninth grade students this year…. The signs, yearbook delivery, Blue & White Day T-shirts, Instagram posts — it was all fantastic! Graduation was the most wonderful day and we so appreciate all the planning and work that made it so special. Take care and we look forward to coming back to visit!”
—The Alpaugh Family
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15. Ben Herdeg presented the Class
Reflection. “We’re defined by so much more than our unexpectedly different spring,” he said. “Each person in this grade brings something different to the table — whether that’s humor, compassion, spirit or confidence, it’s equally valued and visible to anyone.
All our traits work so well together that we’ve grown closer and become better people because of it.” 16. Ben and Cara Burnham Herdeg ’86 17. Thatcher Findlay 18. Matt, Ellie, Tyler and Kirsten Rosolen 19. Darla and TJ Moody 20. Gracie and Ella Agulay. Gracie received the Gamble Award, which is presented to the student who exemplifies, to the highest measure, the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 21. Beth, Mimi Sue, Annabelle, Keating and John Novak 22. Brayden and Curtis Hogue 23. Abby O’Brien 24. Liam, Garrett and Emma Cannon 25. Bob, Virginia and Fiona Burton 26. Emma ’15, Chris, Jackson, Lisa and
Henry Alpaugh ’17 27. Charlie Gaynor strode across the field to take his place amongst the 37 ninth grade graduates.
More photos available www.countryschool.net
“That ceremony was perfect in every way. In fact, having gone through two other graduations, I can confidently say that this one was even more special and appreciated than those in the past. It clearly took a lot of creativity, thoughtfulness… and sheer manpower to pull that off. It was spectacular.”—The Barnard Family
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28. Jackson Alpaugh, Kate Barnard,
Fiona Burton, Garrett Cannon and
Sasha Coughlin 29. Emily ’16, Jennifer, Kate, David, and
Kevin Barnard ’17 30. Annika Mannix 31. David, Payton and Sara Koch 32. Thomas, Matt and Courtney Edwards 33. Chelsea, Jud and William Staniar ’17 34. Eric, Sophie ’17 and Alanna Gribin,
Maureen McBride 35. Jamie Staniar 36. Lilly Krongard 37. Christian and Calvin Jacob 38. Stephanie Bowling Zeigler ’81,
Will Erdmann, Rett and Eric Zeigler.
Rett received the Johansen Award, which is presented to the member of the graduating class who most exemplifies the qualities of care and concern for others, compassion and a sense of community. it was your last spring here, the world was turned on its head, and your grades were pass/fail. No one would have thought any less of you had you not been engaged, and we think so much more of you because you were.
There is one more quality that binds you. When asked what you value most about your Country School experience, every one of you had variations on the same answer: the community. You spoke about your teachers, you spoke about your families and other students, and you particularly spoke about one another. As one of you wrote, “I’m so glad I got to spend most of my childhood surrounded by people who are caring, welcoming and joyful.”
So, you will leave here today as individuals bound by values and dispositions forged in your common experiences, and even though you will not be together as a group again, I know you will bring those values and that spirit to your next schools and communities and nurture similar atmospheres of respect, growth and leadership.
See, you have everything it takes to persevere and overcome and thrive, no matter the circumstances. You have demonstrated that in every way this spring. And that is why this speech is about you.
This may very well be your “moment.” Both the one you will remember more clearly than all others and the one that galvanizes you to action. For my grandfather, it was Pearl Harbor, and he — like so many others at the time — left his job as a minister in Steubenville, Ohio, to join an Army Air Force bomber squad as its chaplain. For my parents, it was JFK’s assassination, and it spurred them to focus on service. For my brother-in-law, it was the Challenger Space Shuttle exploding — when he
THAT’S The Balsley and Salvatore families conclude A WRAP! 18 years at Country School. Also noteworthy are the Griffiths and Staniar families each with 15 years, the Zeigler family with 14 years, the Alpaugh, Gribin/McBride and Staber families with 13 years each, and the Barnard, Edwards and Strine families each with 12 years.
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was in ninth grade, no less — and motivated to learn why that had happened, now he is an engineer at NASA who builds robots that install parts on the International Space Station. For me and many in my generation, it was September 11 and the conviction that grew inside of me at that time revolves around the importance of educating tomorrow’s leaders, which plays a big role in why I am here with you today.
So, how will you be galvanized by this? Be yourselves. You have all that it takes inside of you. Make a difference. Follow your passions. Live with purpose. OK, maybe I did just fall into typical graduation advice there. But I believe it, and I believe in you. You have shown that you have everything it takes to live lives of impact and purpose, and that is what we ask. I cannot wait to see how you do that.
Congratulations on graduating from NCCS and thank you for all you have given our community through your passion, your talents, your desire, your leadership and your courage, these past three months and these past 12 years. Good luck and thank you.” 38
The spirited, fun and somewhat more casual quality felt warm
and more community-based somehow. Maybe it was seeing all the names and families gathered — whatever it was —
it was a great day.”—Stephanie Bowling Zeigler ’81
Best of Luck!
Class of 2020 Secondary School Destinations
Gracie Agulay..................................Rye Country Day School Jackson Alpaugh ..................................Westminster School Kate Barnard...................................Greens Farms Academy Fiona Burton....................................Greens Farms Academy Garrett Cannon ...............Fairfield College Preparatory School Sasha Coughlin.......................Greenwich Country Day School Matt Edwards ............................................The Taft School Jasper Engle ..............................................The Taft School Daisy Fichthorn .....................................Deerfield Academy Thatcher Findlay.............................New Canaan High School Maren Frey..........................................Miss Porter’s School Charlie Gaynor ........................................ Brunswick School Alanna Gribin ...................................... Westhill High School Ben Herdeg........................................The Hotchkiss School Brayden Hogue .........................................Salisbury School Calvin Jacob .........................................St. George’s School Christian Jacob ......................................St. George’s School Payton Koch..................................New Canaan High School Lilly Krongard .......................................... St. Luke’s School Katie LeBaron .......................................... St. Luke’s School Annika Mannix .....................................Miss Porter’s School Megan Mitchell ................................. Choate Rosemary Hall Darla Moody................................ Phillips Academy Andover TJ Moody.................................... Phillips Academy Andover Huett Nelson ........................................... St. Luke’s School Mimi Sue Novak ....................................Greenwich Academy Abby O’Brien...................................Greens Farms Academy Riya Punjabi...........................Greenwich Country Day School Tyler Rosolen.........................Greenwich Country Day School Mac Ryan .................................................St. Paul’s School Cece Salvatore ...........................................The Taft School Henry Scott ...............................................The Taft School Luke Sosnow ............................................Millbrook School Jamie Staniar .......................................Westminster School Ryland Strine...........................Sun Valley Community School Cassie Warren .......................................... St. Luke’s School Rett Zeigler........................................The Hotchkiss School
Mac Ryan
Class of 2021 Destinations
While 35 students returned for ninth grade, 27 members of the 2019–2020 eighth grade class departed for the following secondary school destinations: Ben Balsley...........................Greenwich Country Day School Tess Boosin......................................... Staples High School Katey Charnin .......................................... St. Luke’s School Mackie Coffield ....................................Greenwich Academy Tanvi DebNath .....................................Greenwich Academy Kate Edwards ........................................... St. Luke’s School Andrew Ferretti ............................................Loyola School Luke Frame...................................New Canaan High School Elsa Franks....................................... Choate Rosemary Hall Bailey Gendason.....................Greenwich Country Day School Izzy Goldberg ...............................................Lauralton Hall Sloane Griffiths..............................New Canaan High School Elizabeth Hackett ............................Rye Country Day School Riley Johnson ............................................Tabor Academy Alice Nash................................ Brien McMahon High School Annabelle Novak ................................... Darien High School Cyrus Pearson .......................................... St. Luke’s School Maisy Ricciardelli ........................................The Taft School Jack Rosenberg......................Greenwich Country Day School Ethan Schubert..............................New Canaan High School Sophia Sotirhos..............................New Canaan High School Jeren Staber .........................................The Masters School Malcolm Stewart ...................................... St. Luke’s School Lola Triay ................................................ St. Luke’s School Robert Walker ..............................................Blair Academy Ethan Yoo .............................................. Brunswick School Rheda Young ........................................... St. Luke’s School
I,m Ready...
Congratulations, Class of 2020!
For more than 100 years, Country School has provided an intentional journey that balances strong academic preparation with social-emotional development for children age 3 through Grade 9. The result is alumni who are confident leaders and bold thinkers who are prepared to continue to their next school and beyond.
—Jamie Staniar attends Westminster School
—Payton Koch attends New Canaan High School
—Riya Punjabi attends Greenwich Country Day School
—Ben Herdeg attends Hotchkiss School
—Jasper Engle attends The Taft School
—Darla Moody attends Phillips Academy Andover
