Convocation 2024 Opens New Academic Year

The Pennington School formally opened its 187th academic year with its annual Convocation ceremony on Friday, September 6. A brass quintet played as the students entered by grade, followed by the formal academic procession of faculty and trustees.

Chaplain David Hallgren opened the program with a benediction, followed by Luke Schwalbach on trumpet, who played the national anthem. After welcoming remarks from Vandana Kataria - Bhanote P’23 ’26, member of the Pennington School Board of Trustees, there were greetings from various School constituencies, beginning with faculty representative Ryan Vogt, teacher of science and computer science, and engineering.

Sophia Chrnelich ’29 and Kayla Turner ’29 represented the Middle School and Aidan Prestigiacomo ’25 was the Upper School representative. In his Convocation address, Head of School William S. Hawkey spoke about his theme for the year, “The Power of Connections,” and how all members of the Pennington community can benefit from closer connections to one another.

Dr. Hawkey remarked, "Our Pennington community is a microcosm of our increasingly interconnected world. As we welcome students from 28 countries this year, who speak over a dozen languages, we're reminded of the profound shifts occurring in around the world which highlight the importance of the connections we develop across cultures and continents."

The program then concluded with a benediction from Chaplain Hallgren before a reception for attendees on the Martini Center for Music, Arts, and Community (MMAC) plaza.