New Canaan Country School Holds 100th Closing Exercises
New Canaan Country School held its 100th Closing Exercises on Wednesday, June 15, 2016. Head of School Dr. Robert P. Macrae encouraged the 40 ninth grade graduates of the class of 2016 to continue to love learning and to apply what they have learned. View photos.
“Class of 2016, our Centennial class, your Country School journey is coming to a close, but the next step of your journey awaits,” Dr. Macrae said. “We have given you a strong academic preparation – you have been taught much more than facts. You have been taught how to think deeply, how to consider an issue from multiple angles, and how to apply knowledge to new situations. You have been taught to question everything.”
“You know how to ask good questions, and how to find the resources you need to answer those questions. You have a self-confidence and self-awareness to present your own views and substantiate them with evidence.”
“You have developed mission skills: teamwork, resilience, time management, ethics, creativity, and curiosity. These are the skills you will need to be truly successful in the long run.”
Ninth Grader Susanna Montgomery of New Canaan delivered the Class Salutation. “Enjoy this moment,” she said to her classmates. “The most important people in your lives, family, friends, classmates and teachers, all of whom love you so much, are all in one place.”
Turner Ives of New Canaan presented the Class Reflection. He addressed his classmates: “This unique school and its faculty quietly pushed us to learn, change, and become better people and better friends. We have worked hard together, struggled together, and had successes and failures together. Country School pushed us outside of our comfort zones to make us better people in the end.”
“We and we alone are the Class of 2016. Graduating in the school’s centennial year. This will forever bond us; we’ve established friendships that we will draw on for the rest of our lives.”
Class of 2016 graduate Christina Halloran of Darien received the Robert Gamble Award, which is presented to the student who “exemplifies, to the highest measure, the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Class of 2016 graduate Avery MacLear of New Canaan received the Paul Johansen Award, which is presented to the member of the graduating class who exemplifies the qualities which Paul embodied: “care and concern for others, compassion and a sense of community.”
Both the Gamble and Johansen awards are named in honor of two courageous students who waged inspiring battles against fatal illnesses while students at Country School.
The Class of 2016 will attend the following secondary schools: Berkshire School, Brunswick School, Choate Rosemary Hall, Deerfield Academy, Fairfield College Preparatory School, Greens Farms Academy, Greenwich Academy, Kent School, King Low Heywood Thomas School, The Lawrenceville School, Loomis Chaffee School, Millbrook School, New Canaan High School, Nyack High School, Phillips Academy Exeter, Portchester High School, Portsmouth Abbey School, Rye Country Day School, Salisbury School, St. Luke’s School, The Taft School and Westminster School.
The Class of 2016 included:
Justus Armstead, Emily Barnard, Cayden Brodnax, Andrew Butcher, Lucinda Carroll, Joia Criss, Portia Cummings, Harry DeLana, Holly Diomede, Anna Edwards, Quinn Galante, Alexander Hackett, Christina Halloran, Alexander Ivanov, Turner Ives, Jonathan Jean-Louis, Caitlin Lefferts, Avery MacLear, Jenna Macrae, Jackson McManus, Daltanette Mitchell, Anya Mohindra-Green, Susanna Montgomery, Tommy Murillo, Meghan Musto, Jack Neafsey, Grady Norton, Ashley Orser, Mimi Pastor, Wyatt Pastor, Jav Peters, Lilly Purkiss, Jeffrey Ramirez, Roan Scanlon-Black, Virginia Smith, Jack Spain, Tucker Stoops, Jack Truwit, Laura Velez, Christopher Zegarra and Henry Zinn.
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
