Upper School Community Gathers for Memorable Closing Exercises
Lamplighter:
CLOSING EXERCISES
Our graduating eighth graders and their families came together remotely over Zoom with faculty and staff for our Upper School Closing Exercises on June 12, 2020.
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school’s history. We are incredibly proud of what our boys have accomplished. They have proved themselves to be compassionate, resilient, adaptable, and incredibly resourceful young men.
This year’s celebrations were truly like none other in our
Attendees were welcomed to the virtual ceremony by Head of School David Trower. “On behalf of the whole Board of Trustees, I would like to welcome you to the Upper
Pierce Van de Rhoer performed “Humoresque” by Antonin Dvorak on the flute.
Jamie Resurreccion played “Shenandoah”, arranged by Paul Basler, on the French horn with Aleeza Meir on the piano.
School Closing Exercises. This has been a remarkable year for Allen-Stevenson… We would like to start by thanking all of you for your good will and good cheer during this unusual and unprecedented time created by the pandemic. To the Upper School boys: you have done a really good job with your work. We celebrate you as eighth-grade graduates of A-S today. It’s probably not the way you would have chosen to finish the year or your time at A-S, but I think when you look back you will realize that this time was unforgettable.”
The featured speaker for the morning was alumnus Christopher Weitz ’84, an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Mr. Trower announced the winner of this year’s George Kellner Great Teacher Award: Assistant Middle School Head and Sixth Grade History Teacher Ben Neulander. We are so grateful to Mr. Neulander for continuing to provide our boys with a joyful learning environment, and for his invaluable role in running the Middle and Upper School Morning Meetings. Keeping these meetings going during this period of remote learning was all the more important in keeping us connected, and we are grateful for his determination, creativity and resourcefulness. Jeremy Negrin gave the Eighth Grade Farewell. “This is the end of a chapter of our lives and also the start of a new one,” said Jeremy. “We have all accomplished so much… We are all different, yet we all share the fact that we are all part of the Allen-Stevenson community. And although we are moving on, we will always be part of this community and will carry the memories we have created here in our hearts.”
Jeremy Negrin
