Severn School Opens 111th Academic Year

The entire school community comes together for this annual assembly where new students and faculty are welcomed, faculty and staff anniversaries are acknowledged, and the tone is set for the 2024-25 school year.

Vocal Ensemble, one of Severn's performance groups, kicked things off by performing the National Anthem. Afterward, Head of School Doug Lagarde invited each class to stand and be recognized, starting with the Class of 2039 and ending with the Class of 2025. Lagarde also recognized those faculty and staff members celebrating milestone anniversaries this school year.

As is customary for Convocation, a student speaker from each Division (Lower, Middle, Upper) offers remarks to the audience of students, faculty, and staff.

Carter ’32 represented the Lower School and spoke about civility, kindness, and responsibility. He reminded his fifth-grade peers that they are the school's leaders and should model these characteristics. He also encouraged everyone to set goals, saying, "Always try to do your best, be kind and respectful, and also curious."

Dane Horton ’39 spoke next, representing the Middle School. He offered sage advice for a good school year, including, “Don’t forget your PE uniform, always be in dress code, and don’t procrastinate!” But he also spoke to returning students about embracing the new members of the school community. “If you see someone sitting alone, sit with them,” he said. “Introduce yourself to someone new and be open to new friendships and experiences.” He also encouraged his peers to make the most of the year by trying new things and getting involved. “We’re all in this together,” he added.

Alex Tarallo ’25 was the senior speaker representing the Upper School. He focused his remarks on selflessness and service, imploring his fellow Admirals to follow the Severn legacy and demonstrate these ideals in everything they do this school year.

Lagarde then offered his Convocation address, which centered on approaching disappointment, one of life’s inevitabilities. “Here’s the hard truth about life,” he said: " It's not always going to seem fair, and, frankly, there are times when life is not fair. So it's okay to be disappointed—especially if you feel you have tried your best. But how you respond to that disappointment will influence your actions going forward and define you as you inevitably face hardships in life.” 

He then spoke about resilience and perseverance and how they offer “a powerful combination” towards success. But, said Lagarde, “persevering such that you fill your reservoir of resilience is hard…you don’t have to do it by yourself. The Severn community is here to help.” Lagarde reminded students that they matter for who they are and not simply what they achieve.

Tying these themes together, Lagarde spoke about the school community's shared responsibility to know and value one another, show up for each other, and attend to others in ways that show they matter. In doing so, Severn will create the conditions under which resilience and perseverance flourish.

Following tradition, the kindergarten and first-grade students walked into Convocation hand-in-hand with members of the Class of 2025, who experienced their final Severn Convocation. They were also seated together for the assembly. After Convocation, they processed from the Edward St. John Athletic Center down Alumni Walkway and over to the Zimmerman Library, where each kindergarten and first-grade student was presented with a personalized copy of Built to Last by Minh Le. The seniors then read this inspiring book to the Lower School students before they made the short trip back to the Chesapeake Campus.