Opening Day Kicks Off with a Surge of Martlet Spirit

You could hear them cheering from every corner of campus. The Prefect Board was irrepressible on Opening Day, Sept. 3. As a steady stream of cars wound up Williams Hill, new and returning students and their families were first greeted with smiles and waves from Dean of Admissions Miles Bailey ’94, Dean of Residential Life A-men Rasheed and campus security members. Then, as the cars reached the top of the Hill their cheers rose to a crescendo. Prefects, dressed in Black and Gold jerseys, leaped and shouted and waved and twirled their pom poms overhead.

 

It was an invigorating start to Westminster School’s new academic school year. Of the 424 students who arrived on campus, 143 are new students, representing 14 states including Nevada, California, Wisconsin, Maine, North Carolina and 12 countries, including Spain, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Ukraine. There are a total of 109 Sixth Formers and postgraduate students, 119 in the Fifth Form, 112 Fourth Formers and 83 in the Third Form.

 

Peer leaders, Sixth Formers and international students returned earlier in the week, but most students arrived on Opening Day. Once they worked their way through registration in Armour Academic Center, faculty members directed families to their dorms and Sixth Formers sprang into action to help carry boxes, luggage and clothing.

 

Melissa Scollans P’26 drove from Greenwich, Conn., with her son, Connor, and was grateful for the enthusiastic welcome at the top of Williams Hill and for the extra help from the community. “The students were amazing. Just like last year I got all teary-eyed again when I saw them at the top of the hill waving and cheering,” said Scollans.

 

Like many students, her son, Connor, couldn’t wait for the start of school. “He was so excited he packed the entire car himself last night,” said Scollans.

 

Third Former Julia Agyeman from Enfield, Conn., had a lot to look forward to during her first year on campus, but she was most excited to make new friends. That sentiment was echoed by many returning students as well.

 

“I’m excited to see new faces,” said Fifth Former A.J. Kraus, who was reconnecting with his lacrosse teammate and roommate, Cole Callison ’26.

 

Families arrived on campus in stages and by early afternoon, most of the new and returning boarding students had settled into their rooms and were ready to reunite with classmates and meet new friends. Prior to Opening Day, new day students and their families had head start getting acquainted during a campus picnic held Aug. 29.

 

After lunch, there was ample time for students to visit Brockelman Grill, toss a football or just mingle on Baxter Lawn. Early in the afternoon, new families and students met with advisors and class deans. Then, it was time for final hugs and goodbyes as students prepared for afternoon activities that included an all-school meeting on residential life, followed by form activities and an all-school carnival after dinner.

 

The official first day of classes began Thursday, Sept. 5. On the following Saturday, Head of School Elaine White formally welcomed the entire community in an assembly in Armstrong Atrium of Armour Academic Center and Head Prefect Chip Genung ’25 addressed students prior to the traditional pin and sign-in ceremonies.

 

“We are lucky to have so many opportunities here, but honestly it doesn’t necessarily matter what you do at all. It matters how you do it, and it matters that you commit to it,” Genung said.

 

It took him his entire Third Form year to learn the lesson of commitment, which is this year’s community theme. When he first arrived, he was very excited to meet new friends, new teachers and a whole new environment. “Along with having braces and missing quite a few teeth, I was also, in some ways, too excited,” he said,

 

As a result, he signed up for nearly 20 clubs at the club fair, “which is something I definitely do not recommend,” he said. He ended up being very busy and attending multiple meetings a day before he realized there simply wasn’t enough time to do everything. He knew he had to commit to choosing quality over quantity, so he started prioritizing those activities that he enjoyed the most, which served him well in the long run.

 

“People want you to succeed here. We want you to do your best, which means all you have to do is find that thing. Find what you’re best at, find what you’re passionate about and commit to it. It’s that simple,” he said.

 

He also challenged seniors to leave Westminster a better place than how they found it, reminding them that the school doesn’t leave them when they graduate. They will carry it with them forever.

 

Following his address, Sixth Formers led a procession toward the Sixth Form Lawn for the pin ceremony. Former Head of School Graham Cole began the practice as a way of recognizing the Sixth Form and emphasizing their responsibility as leaders to uphold the core values of character, community, involvement and balance. The Sixth Form class designs its unique pin in the spring of their Fifth Form year. That design is also emblazoned on their Sixth Form flag, a practice begun by former Head of School Bill Philip. The flag then resides in the head of the school's office for the year, until it is needed to call a Hill Holiday. Sixth Formers wear their pins all year as a constant reminder of that responsibility.

 

Following the pin ceremony, the Prefect Board led new students into Andrews Memorial Chapel for the sign-in ceremony. Students are expected to commit themselves to do their best to live up to the community standards and to embrace that commitment when they sign the school ledger, another tradition begun by Graham Cole.

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