Our Last Opening...

The first day of school was full of excitement and traditions! While we, the seniors, the Class of 2014, had our annual bagel breakfast in the parking lot, the rest of the Upper School is gathered in the lodge for their own breakfast. The first day is always special because we get to reconnect with friends who we haven't seen all summer. Another great tradition of the school is the Opening Ceremony, which officially starts the school year.

A new activity that we do involves having some of our fellow seniors escort the kids in kindergarten into the ceremony. It is a great bonding experience and a lot of fun! The ceremony itself is filled with speeches from Trustee members, Mrs. Fuller (Head of School), and our Prefects (student leaders). Each speech is about kindness, the theme for the year and one of the tenets of our Common Trust.

This year, however, the speeches seem more relevant to us, seeing as our classmates are the ones delivering the speeches. These are the last opening speeches that we will hear at USM, and it is both happy and sad at the same time. After the speeches, Mrs. Nosbusch (Head of Middle School) rings the opening bell to signify that the school year has officially begun!

After the ceremony, the Upper Schoolers, one big mob of white shirts and navy blazers, went to the theater for a kick off assembly with Mr. Cushman, our new Head of Upper School. From there we went about our first day, reuniting with teachers and wondering what our new classes have in store for us.

We are excited about our last year at USM. Looking forward to great memories!

Ben, Jack, and Harriette
Class of 2014 members