Convocation is a cherished annual tradition at Princeton Day School, marking the beginning of each academic year. The entire school community comes together on the Colross lawn to celebrate the start of the new school year. This year, on September 17, this beloved ritual took place with Dr. Kelley Nicholson-Flynn leading the ceremonies.
“It was wonderful to have speakers from each division creating a shared experience for the whole school,” remarked senior Addison Figel, a speaker at the ceremony. Dr. Nicholson-Flynn agreed with this sentiment, adding that as a K-12 institution, it is important to have the whole school come together on select occasions and commemorate the PDS community collectively. “Loving and appreciating [the] school” was the main message that Dr. Nicholson-Flynn found all the speakers echoed beautifully. “There is nothing better than our kids’ voices,” she added.
Dr. Nicholson-Flynn was also thoroughly impressed by all three student speakers, 4th grader Isabelle, 8th grader Asher Silverman-Dultz, and Addison. Moreover, the performances were delightful and a wonderful way to illustrate the talent and spirit of the PDS student body. “I liked the Madrigals’ performance a lot,” said junior Krishna Agarwal. “I thought it was very captivating and fun.” This seemed to be a common reaction to the performances, as many audience members, teachers, and students could be seen singing or moving along to the music.
Figel also commented on the wonderful continuity between Convocation and Commencement developed as a result of the event being on the Colross lawn this year. The connection between the seniors beginning and ending their last year at PDS in the same place holds incredibly special meaning for her and likely many of her classmates.
Overall, the students and teachers enjoyed the ceremony. It featured a range of voices from the lower, middle, and uppers school and speeches to gracefully begin the academic year.
