The buzz of Upper School Prize Day lent momentum to the festive air on campus leading up to graduation. A traditional celebration at King, the event honors excellence across the academic disciplines, clubs, arts, athletics, and in the King community.

Music, laughter, and bells rang across the King School campus as 91 members of the Class of 2022 received their graduation diplomas and celebrated the strength of their community among family and friends during this year’s Commencement ceremony on Friday, June 3.

King School is partnering with the American School of Warsaw to support Ukrainian children who have fled their country due to the Russian invasion and sought refuge in Poland. This week, King is collecting school supplies such as crayons, markers, pencil cases, notebooks, pens, and pencils to send to Ukrainian children who are attending the school in Warsaw. 

King student Ben Persily ’23, placed fourth at the Connecticut Science & Engineering Fair (CSEF) in March for his research using stem cells and prime editing to study and correct the genetic mutations that cause cystic fibrosis. Ben’s accomplishment put him on the podium, standing out from over 600 students who participated in the state-wide fair. The success also meant that a student from King School would represent the Connecticut delegation at the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) for the first time. 

King School is pleased to announce Julie Sheetz ’03 as this year’s Commencement keynote speaker. 

Julie Sheetz currently serves as the Chief of Staff for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In this role, Sheetz oversees an organization of nearly 100 people that provides the Secretary of Defense with policy recommendations and advice spanning the management of the United States’ treaty alliances and partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region. 

The Upper School Science Fair was back in the gymnasium this year after a two-year pause. Upper school students in Honors Biology, Honors Chemistry, Honors Physics, and the ASPIRE program participated in two sessions held on May 12 to present their research to peers, faculty, family, and special guests. 

“I love mentoring science fair projects for beginning students. Their excitement for trying new things is always refreshing. My favorite moments are when they shift from fear and nervousness about doing something new to excited and confident after they get results and realize it’s not that hard, and then they’ve learned a new skill,” said Director of Science Research Victoria Schulman. 

King of Spring was in full bloom on King School’s campus last weekend. The inaugural festivities showcased King’s extracurricular programs – Athletics, King Cares Service Learning, and Performing Arts – during a week of fun-filled activities. 

Leading up to the weekend, each division hosted a different theme each day for Spirit Week to kick off the celebration with a major show of Viking Pride. To name a few, the week featured a tie dye day in the Lower School, Wacky Wednesday in the Middle School, a neon day in the Upper School, and an all school King Spirit day at the end of the week. 

Culminating a year of self-discovery and exploration in the arts, the senior art students presented their capstone projects at the Art Colloquium, an annual arts seminar hosted in the Performing Arts Center at King School. The presentations are a result of the school’s O.P.E.N project experience: Original, Personal, Experiential, and Novel. Each year, seniors are encouraged to explore different mediums of art and create projects that are a personal expression of their interests or experiences to present to their classmates at the colloquium.

The students typically begin their projects with one idea, but the idea develops into new concepts or multiple projects as the year progresses. Jamie Munno ’22 likened the experience to the growth of a flower.

King School’s biennial gala returned to campus this year with invigorating energy after an extended pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The glass ceiling tent was filled with cheer, laughter, and the sound of clinking glasses as over 350 guests gathered for the event which took place on Saturday, April 23, on the King School campus. 

Head of School Carol Maoz kicked off the evening. “Tonight, we celebrate our community, and we celebrate the ability to gather in person on this beautiful campus – something we no longer take for granted!”