The Class of 2029 celebrated the end of their Middle School experience on Thursday, May 29, 2025. They gathered in the McDonnell Athletic Center with their friends, family members, faculty, and staff, hearing from speakers, enjoying music, reminiscing about their days in the middle school, and looking forward to moving to the Upper School in the fall.
The evening got started with the class being welcomed by the 2029 student council officers, who also presented the class gift: Maia Grant ’29, Lilian Huynh ’29, Ashton Constantine ’29, Jake Ilko-Stiehr ’29, Tarik Yagci ’29, and Cecilia Mileusnic ’29. Each year, the eighth-grade class sells spirit items during Homecoming Week, and this year, the proceeds went to Family Forward. This organization supports comprehensive therapeutic and educational services for biological, foster, and adoptive families.
They introduced Head of School Jay Rainey, who shared these remarks.
Nico Cox-Garleanu ’29, Emma Oesch ’29, and Soham Gadi ’29 offered student reflections. They spoke about their time in the Middle School and how important our community has been to their success. Here are the remarks from Cox-Garleanu, Oesch, and Gadi.
Middle School Science Teacher William Bander then took the podium to offer his reflection for the class. He encouraged them to continue making mistakes, as that’s where the learning happens.
The audience then enjoyed a slide show created by Middle School Fine Arts Teacher Jayme Zimmer, before hearing from Head of Middle School Jen Schuckman. Here are her remarks.
Schuckman also announced the recipient of the Duncan Award, which is voted on by the eighth-grade class. The award is presented to a Middle School faculty member whose hard work, determination, and selfless giving challenge students to strive for excellence and achieve their full potential. This year’s recipient is World Languages Teacher Ines Shultz.
The Eighth Grade Choir, under the direction of Middle School Fine Arts Teacher Jason Roberts, performed Go the Distance from the movie Hercules.
The evening ended far too soon, with an emotional recessional emceed by the Eighth Grade Dean, Eric Taylor. Mr. Rainey and Ms. Schuckman handed out the certificates of completion as students bid farewell to their teachers with hugs, high-fives, and cheers.
Congratulations to the students in the Class of 2029! We wish you the best on the next leg of your journey in the Upper School this fall.