Alumni events

20202021 alumni events

ALUMNI SPEAKER SERIES The Alumni Speaker Series is a program intended to feature Rectory alumni who are experts in their fields as they offer an intimate, in-depth perspective on their life work to the alumni community. This year’s editions included: The Art of Brewing with Clayton LeBlanc ’93, The Art of Finance with Hank Smith ’76, and The Art of Filmmaking with Jonathan Baker ’78. Presenters began with a snapshot of their Rectory experience and wove their experience through their professional journey. Viewers had the opportunity to pose questions and gain insight into the fields that framed each session. The Alumni Speaker Series was highly successful in its inaugural year and will continue in an ondemand format this year.

hank smith ’76 jonathan baker ’78 clayton leblanc ’93

stay connected with your fellow alumni by visiting: rectoryschool.org/alumni

2021 REUNION CLASS VIRTUAL MEET-UPS The 2021 milestone reunion classes of 1971, 1996, and 2011 connected on Zoom in the fall of 2020 for what was intended to be a virtual precursor to an in-person alumni reunion and Centennial celebration. Each meet-up was well attended by alumni as well as past and current Rectory faculty and staff. It was astonishing how quickly classmates fell into nostalgic storytelling and familiar repartee, even if they had not seen each other in years. Many alumni used the relative comfort of a virtual gathering as a way to reengage with the Rectory alumni community in advance of future in-person gatherings. As we hopefully move back toward traditional alumni gatherings, Rectory is likely to continue offering virtual meet-ups to include those individuals who are unable to return to campus for events.

VIRTUAL FALL FAMILY WEEKEND Rectory was forced to forego its traditional Fall Family Weekend due to the travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of the usual parent-teacher conferences, athletic games, artistic performances and presentations, and all school meals, parents met with teachers remotely and attended several hybrid live/recorded video showcases of academics and the arts. Though there is no substitute for the hugs and physical reconnections between parents and students that are the highlight of Fall Family Weekend, parents sent photographic and video messages to their students wishing them well for the remainder of the fall term. It was truly a community effort that helped Rectory experience as close to a normal school year as possible given the circumstances.

ASIA VIRTUAL RECEPTIONS Head of School Fred Williams and Associate Director of Development Marcia Williams hosted several virtual receptions for current parents living in China and Korea. Mr. Williams normally travels to these areas each fall, and Rectory families often host festive receptions for all who are able to attend. This year, Mr. Williams interacted with Rectory’s Chinese and Korean families over Zoom, and where conditions allowed, some groups of parents were able to gather together for the event. Given the distance between these parents and their children, a distance made greater due to the challenges of the pandemic, the ability to spend time with other parent families and the Williams family helped strengthen the relationship between our campus community and our most geographically distant community members.

DEI ROUNDTABLE Rectory held a small, virtual event on March 25, 2021, focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. We invited members of the alumni and parent community to share their stories about Rectory School, with particular emphasis on identity and race. Head of School Fred Williams and Rectory DEI Director Melissa Zahansky attended the event, and it was facilitated by Steve Davis from The Institute for Human Relations. It was an enlightening evening of listening, sharing, and openness.

Watch the recording of Rectory’s Spring 2021 Alumni Awards Ceremony at www.rectoryschool.org/alumni/awards.

VIRTUAL SPRING FAMILY DAY Spring Family Weekend occurred as Spring Family Day in 2021 on April 23. The events of the day began with an interactive website that included a welcome from Head of School Fred Williams, a student art gallery, and a Centennial presentation entitled, Rectory’s Roots! Parents were invited to attend a live, virtual spring chapel that included student and faculty readings, songs, and prayers. The afternoon was filled with glimpses into Rectory’s classrooms which featured recorded lessons in various subjects followed by a live question and answer with faculty and students. The afternoon also included the elementary school’s Grandparent and Special Friend Zooms during which students’ relatives and family friends brought items to share on Zoom that had special importance to their relationship with their student. The day concluded with an All-School Zoom that included remarks by Fred Williams highlighting the successes of the school year, spoken word poems performed by students, and a pre-recorded musical showcase.

VIRTUAL ALUMNI REUNION In lieu of the Centennial Gala, which was moved to April 2022, alumni reunion took place on Zoom and was comprised of the alumni leadership awards and reunion class breakout rooms. The awards portion of the event was one of Rectory’s highest attended virtual gatherings of the year. Hundreds of alumni, faculty, family members, and friends attended to honor Distinguished Service Award recipients Carl Sr. and Michael ’70 Kempner and Lisa Levesque, Athletic Wall of Honor inductees Coach George Groom and Norm Riker ’85, and Emerging Leader Award recipients Yeo Bi Choi ’10 and Jamel Torrence ’09. After the awards presentation concluded, the group split into breakout rooms based on when they graduated from Rectory. Despite the physical distance, Rectory connections remained strong, and the evening was an unequivocal success.

LEAVING THE WOLF DEN Leaving the Wolf Den is a program that introduces Rectory ninth graders to the Alumni and Development Office and begins to identify what it means to be a Rectory School alumnus. We were able to hold an in-person gathering for all on-campus ninth-grade students on May 18, 2021, that featured a keynote address from alumnus and faculty member Quadry Anderson ’09, a presentation by the alumni office, an opportunity to write letters to self that they will receive at their 10-year reunion, and a special lunch of pizza and ice cream. The outdoor, distanced gathering produced a refreshing feeling of normalcy in an otherwise unusual year. A virtual version of the program was offered via Zoom for students who learned online this year. They enjoyed the full benefit of the program, except for the pizza and ice cream!

BOARD OF VISITORS Rectory welcomed its Board of Visitors to an annual meeting on May 14, 2021. Conducted virtually via Zoom, more than 20 Visitors attended a packed morning of programming that detailed Rectory’s current operations and initiatives and outlook toward the future. The Board of Visitors is a group of Rectory alumni, parents, and friends who take a special interest in the success of the school and periodically offer feedback on ways to optimize the educational experience of our students. The annual meeting program began with the Visitors attending the middle school virtual assembly. They then viewed a broad spectrum of pieces from the music and art departments. Visitors observed classroom lessons and had an opportunity to hear reflections from, and ask questions of, Rectory faculty and students. The meeting concluded with a session led by Fred Williams who gave a candid review of Rectory’s current situation and future plans. Visitors asked many important questions that will help guide Rectory’s work in the year to come. We hope to offer a hybrid in-person and virtual Board of Visitors annual meeting in the spring of 2022.

8TH GRADE LEADERSHIP CELEBRATION The 8th Grade Leadership Celebration is Rectory’s way of bidding farewell to those students departing for secondary school and of recognizing the rising ninth graders who will serve as exemplars for the Rectory School student community. This year’s version was a hybrid event with on-campus students, Head of School Fred Williams, and keynote speaker Norm Riker ’85 attending in the Tang Center for the Arts and online students and student families attending virtually. Mr. Williams acknowledged those eighth graders who were departing, presenting each a certificate of commendation and a Rectory School alumni pin. Mr. Riker drew upon his Rectory experience as well as his time as a collegiate athlete and college soccer coach to keep the students on the edges of their seats. We hope each member of the eighthgrade class develops as leaders wherever they attend school this year.