Better Together: Convocation Kicks Off the 117th School Year

By Imogen F. ’27, Communications Student Intern

Across the globe, Convocation is held as the official opening ceremony for many educational institutions. At St. Anne’s-Belfield, the event is more than a simple “welcome back;” it celebrates the values that are important to us and reminds us of the significant relationships that will sustain us throughout the school year and well into the future.

At the beginning of the ceremony, Tyson B. ’27 and Cosmo d.V. ’27, the school’s student body presidents, shared their vision for St. Anne’s-Belfield’s 117th school year: “Let’s make an effort to come together through the everyday choices we make to include, to notice, and to connect. As the saying goes: if you want to go fast, go alone;  but if you want to go far, go together.”

Their speech emphasized the small choices that make our school community truly “better together,” from holding the door open for a classmate after recess to thanking bus drivers, creating an environment that students and staff choose to return to year after year. 

Later, Jack Johnson’s “Better Together,” sung by Jones K. ’27 and Lucy R. ’29, proclaimed their chosen motto for the school year: I’ll tell you one thing, it’s always better when we’re together.

Classic Johnson guitar and upbeat, sing-talking vocals, combined with lyrics straight from one of Tyson and Cosmo’s speeches, perfectly illustrate the community Convocation highlights: one where K – 12 students, faculty, and families really are better together.

For elementary and middle schoolers, an opportunity to join with grades beyond their own presents itself directly following Convocation in the form of Chapel buddy playdates. According to Head of School Autumn A. Graves, the activity teaches Middle School students to be in “joyful service” to their younger community, encouraging an environment where all students build relationships with one another. From 2:20 p.m. until dismissal, second and fifth graders drew chalk masterpieces side by side, while first, fourth, and seventh-graders played an improvised version of touch football on the field. 

Mr. Bartholomew, an Upper School math teacher recognized during the ceremony for completing his 20th year at St. Anne’s-Belfield, recently reflected on his last two decades at the institution from the perspective of an immigrant. To Mr. Bartholomew, St. Anne’s-Belfield has “almost been like [his] hometown,” in America. “I think,” he noted, “when you’re an immigrant, you need some sense of community,” something you can say is “a part of” you, and “that’s what St. Anne’s has been to me.”

As an institution that boasts students from 16 countries and 16 U.S. states, a sense of community that extends beyond the four walls of a classroom is crucial. This community is strengthened each day when faculty, dorm, and day students choose to build together — from Chapel buddy playdates to two crisp claps at Upper School community meetings — instead of alone, so that whether you come to St. Anne’s-Belfield from down the street or across the Atlantic Ocean, the institution quickly becomes more than just a school; it becomes a family.

The recognition of this community at Convocation is what makes the event one that students and faculty look forward to each year, creating a time to appreciate the relationships that make up St. Anne’s-Belfield and their impact on each individual’s daily life.