Holy Innocents' School Year Begins With New Tradition

Seniors and kindergartners began their journey through the 2015-2016 school year together last month with an inaugural Senior/Kindergarten Tie Ceremony in the courtyard of the new Math, Science & Commons Building.

Head of School Paul Barton spoke briefly at the beginning of the ceremony, reminding students about how classes across campus are enriched by each other. He thanked kindergartners, for example, for inspiring HIES with “their sense of wonder and curiosity,” and seniors for “the generous way you share your talents with all of us,” and for their leadership in the year to come.

“Today is a right of passage, the beginning of a journey,” he said.

All upper school students attended the ceremony, but the 128 members of the Class of 2016 were not seated at the beginning. Instead, they made a jubilant entrance by running into the new Stephens Family Courtyard with whistles and air horns blaring, wearing Hawaiian shirts and crepe paper leis—which a few seniors good-naturedly traded with kindergartners later for their senior ties.

The 59 kindergartners were then called by name to come forward, one at a time, to present HIES’ wide-striped, crimson-and-gold ties to seniors.

“It was a good way to start the year,” said Elizabeth Kendrick, a senior and Governor’s Honors scholar. “We got to be in the presence of the entire high school and then meet the kindergartners, the ‘new people’ in this school.

“It was like opening a door.”