Viking pride was on full display on the King School campus as students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the school came together to celebrate Homecoming 2022.
“Homecoming shows us the power of our community in full force,” Head of School Carol Maoz said.
“I love the energy at Homecoming,” Sydney Ryan ’24 said. “It’s electric!”
“How could we miss it?” said former Head of School Elizabeth (Sue) Cesare LH’48, P’78, ’81, GP ’12, ’26. “It’s very nice to be here! It looks as wonderful as ever. The school has gotten stronger and stronger, and the culture is so unique!”
The annual event brings together the entire Viking community to celebrate the school’s rich history, enjoy athletic competitions and musical performances, and give back to the broader Stamford community. This year, the celebration kicked off on October 14 with a student pep rally on the Segalas Family Field.
Members of the upper school chorus opened with a spectacular performance of the national anthem. Students, faculty, and staff cheered for the upper school athletic teams as they ran across the field and high-fived. Each team and the Lower School Spirit Squad performed dance routines or cheers, and fueled school spirit with colorful outfits, pom-poms, and banners.
This year’s “Viking” was Peter Passaro ’23, who said he felt honored to represent the school mascot in a full costume. “I was so excited,” he added. “This means so much to me!”
On Friday evening, 30 alumni from classes spanning 1972 to 2017 mingled during a cocktail reception at the Performing Arts Center. They enjoyed reminiscing with their former teachers and classmates and meeting Maoz.
Saturday was a fun-packed day for King families that included a bake sale, giant inflatable slides and bounce houses, caricaturists, balloon artists, and a live DJ
For Cordelia Beverly ’34, the best part of Homecoming was “going to the playground and meeting friends.” For her brother, Clyde David Beverly ’33, the best part was, hands down, “the bouncy house!”
Sandy Burgoyne P’27, president of the Parents’ Association, remembered the unfortunate but necessary disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in previous years. “All of our athletes are playing,” she said. “Our games are back. Our community is back in full force. It is the biggest true community event that we have, and the day could not be prettier.”
Food trucks provided something for everyone, and for those with a sweet tooth, the Parents' Association bake sale was a must.
“These bakers have really worked so hard to create such wonderful treats, some of them with King colors, King themes!” said Lauren Burke P’33,’36, one of the two co-chairs of the bake sale. “The essence of the bake sale speaks to this community — just the happiness of being together.”
Seema Dohil P’25, 27, 28, 28 volunteered in the School Store, which she co-chairs. The store was set up in a tent for the occasion. “You get to see people that you have not seen in so long, and reconnect,” she said. ”It's really nice to reconnect with families.”
Alumni, teachers, and other members of the community gathered under a tent outside Simon House for a chance to reminisce while enjoying music and a delicious lunch.
David Elliott K’67 flew in from Newport Beach, California, to celebrate his 55th class reunion. “Being on campus, I recognize my old football field, the middle school, and the Simon building,” he said. “Other than that, this place has grown! It's nice to see the development and it being coed. Who would have ever thought? In our day, the class was 27 boys!”
His classmate George Pappas K’67 came from Whately, Massachusetts. A nephew of King’s former Head of School Robert Kinsley Jackson P’62, ’66, Pappas pointed at Simon House, and the memories flowed. “I actually lived in that house!,” he said. “I did grow up here. It really is a homecoming, and it is great to see my classmates.”
Jackson’s son, Dick Jackson K’66, was also in attendance. His classmate Harry Kast K’66 flew in from Bermuda.
Former faculty Cathy Mishkin came to the alumni tent, where she reunited with several of her former students and colleagues, including Cesare and Karin Wagner P’90, ’93. Mishkin’s tenure spanned Low-Heywood, Low-Heywood Thomas, King & Low-Heywood Thomas, and King School from 1976 to 2019.
“I am just thrilled to see so many people and so many of the things that were here when I was here,” she said. “Of course, there are also many more new things. We have our values, we have our people here, and we are strong. I am excited to be part of this.”
Sitting at a table with her parents was Middle School Counselor and DEIB Coordinator Jennifer Guevara KLHT '97, P’24, ’28, ’30, ’30. Her mother, Deborah Roselle, P’94, ’97, ’00, GP’24, ’28, ’30, ’30 remembered her long-lasting connection to the school.
“We go back to the ’80s,” Roselle said as she listed all of her children and grandchildren who have attended either King or its founding schools. (Her son-in-law, Anthony Guevara KLHT ’93, is another alumnus.) “We have seen a lot of changes, but the essence remains the same. The school is great. The education they all got was great. They all excelled. It's a great feeling.”
After lunch, alumni had an opportunity to tour the campus.
Memories came flooding back to Kate Nichols KLHT’02 as she walked the halls of the Lower School. “This is where I grew up," she said.
Nichols continued to explore the campus and its changes, pausing at one point to pose for pictures in front of the Upper School’s Connie Nichols Art Studio, named for her mother, who taught art at the school for 38 years before retiring in 2019.
She was thrilled to see the painting she created as part of her senior art project still hanging in the upper school stairwell. She was impressed by the improvements to the building, and though the school looked different and new, she said she appreciated that the work of past students remains.
As she toured the Academic Center in the Upper School, Arnita Roberts Christie LHT’82 came across a black-and-white picture of cheerleaders from the 1980s. In it, she recognized herself and some of her friends. She walked through the halls remembering the classes she had in each classroom and the teachers who taught them.
Among her fondest memories of her time as a student was the continual encouragement she says she received from Priscilla Pusack, a biology and chemistry teacher for 44 years at King Low-Heywood Thomas School.
“I would not have gone to nursing school if I couldn't pass biology,” Roberts Christie said of Pusack’s course. “I came in my sophomore year. This school was hard. And I said, ‘I can't do this.’ And she said: ‘You will do this. I will stay after school with you.’ And she stayed with me. I passed biology with a B!”
The upper school jazz and rock combo band and the middle school band performed at Homecoming festivities. The talented young musicians were led by music teacher and Performing Arts Chair Garrett Mendez.
“It’s amazing what they can do!” Elliott said.
Enrique (Ricky) Arango ’28 played the saxophone outside the alumni tent. “To be playing at Homecoming, it's just such an honor. Playing for the team we love, playing for the team that some of us will be playing on, it's just fun!”
This was the 18th Homecoming for World Languages faculty member and Grade 11 Dean Margherita Farrell. “Always awesome!” she said. “I always love seeing my advisees who come back every year and who are now fully blossomed and grown! I also love seeing all my kids from classrooms in the fields doing their thing!”
The campus was bustling with activities and athletic competitions. King athletes gave it their all and took home several hard-fought wins.
“We were excited to showcase our community with 11 of our fall teams and athletes in action on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and it was a great day for everybody,” Dean of Athletics Micah Hauben said.
On Sunday morning, the 10th annual King Cares 5K concluded Homecoming weekend with the biggest turnout yet. With runners, volunteers, and sideline cheerleaders, nearly 200 community members participated. By the end of the day, the event had raised close to $14,000, and donations were still rolling in. The proceeds will go to the Boys & Girls Club of Stamford and the Orphaned Starfish Foundation. A big thank you to all who took part in this event.
King School is very grateful to the Parents’ Association members for all their dedication, time, and effort to make Homecoming 2022 a tremendous success. Their projects included managing the School Store, coaching the Spirit Squad, and baking and selling delicious treats. Kudos to the King School staff who helped organize this community event.
Watch video from homecoming and view photos at the 2022 Homecoming page.