77 To Graduate From Moorestown Friends School On Saturday

MOORESTOWN, NJ — A total of 77 students will graduate from Moorestown Friends School on Saturday, June 10, the school said this week. The commencement ceremony begins at 7 p.m. at the school, located at 110 East Main Street in Moorestown.

Commencement speakers include Upper School Director Justin Brandon, and students Alexander Horn (Cherry Hill, attending Columbia University) and Mary Omilian (Burlington Township, attending Wagner College). Commencement speakers are selected by members of the senior class.

The school doesn’t compute class rankings or designate valedictorians/salutatorians. Traditionally, one male and one female student are selected along with a teacher, and it is considered an honor to be chosen.

The school’s commencement ceremony also features a number of significant traditions. The school was founded in 1785, and graduates have worn white dresses and formal men’s attire in lieu of caps and gowns since at least the early 1900s. Quaker secondary schools traditionally do not use robes, which are an outgrowth of clerical garb.

Another tradition is that the Head of School reads the diploma of one of the “Originals” — students who have attended Moorestown Friends School since preschool, prekindergarten, or kindergarten. Of the 77 graduates in this year’s class, 18 are Originals.

The graduation ceremony is scheduled to be held outside, with seniors exiting from the front of the Upper School and walking around the driveway known as The Oval to the group seating area. In case of inclement weather, commencement will be held in the Field House.

All graduates will matriculate at four-year colleges and universities or pursue a gap year. This year’s chosen schools include Barnard College, Boston College, Bucknell University, College of William and Mary, Columbia University, Cornell University, Hamilton College, Haverford College, Johns Hopkins University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, University of Virginia, Wake Forest University, and many more.

Patch file photo