Sports, music, food, games, and presentations highlighted the celebration and the kick off the final phase of the Together We Shine Capital Campaign.

Above all else, last Saturday’s Homecoming was a chance for old and new friends to come together to celebrate the School and its community. Alumni hugged and joked about the passage of time, students of all ages played and laughed, raced about and rolled down the hill by the lower field, and families, faculty, and friends shared stories and experiences, enjoying the day as it unfurled under blue skies and warm temperatures.

One alumna who reminisced with a classmate, said, “It’s like we were just here as kids talking up our clubs, playing sports, and laughing our heads off about something. I love that Sidwell is still our Sidwell even after so many years.”

The Saturday festivities kicked off with A Look at Sidwell Friends Today, where Head of School Bryan Garman welcomed alumni, current and prospective families, faculty, and friends and announced the launch of the final phase of the School’s Together We Shine fundraising campaign. 

The Sidwell Friends Today program began with a music-and-dance performance by Lower School students—including a rendition of Los Machetes, a folkloric dance from Mexico. Students used rhythm sticks to imitate machetes to the beat of Lower School Music and Movement Teacher Matthew Stensrud’s tubano drum.

Next up, a conversation with 4th grade faculty members and Middle School students who reflected on their 4th grade capstone projects that reflect the Lower School student experience as a learner, leader, and change maker. The Honorable Ann Winkelman Brown ’55, who endowed The Ethical Leadership Program Fund that supports the projects, looked on as the students described their projects.

Later, Middle School students described their adventures during Minimester, a beloved tradition at Sidwell Friends that launched 40 years ago. Middle School faculty and students talked about how this opportunity for experiential learning strengthens community, expands exploration, and complements the classroom education. One student who went on the Minimester trip to the US-Mexico border near San Diego last spring told the gathered group that “Each day on my easy, uneventful drive to school, I think about the kids we met at a school in San Diego who every morning and every afternoon have to cross the border just to get an education.”

The day impressed the father of one prospective student who took the opportunity to visit the School that day. “Those kids were so impressive with their poise, confidence, and thoughtfulness in answering questions,” he said. “Even now, as an adult, I don’t think I would be able to speak so well in front of a big group like that!”

Because Homecoming takes place during admissions season, it has become something of a School showcase for families who would like to learn more. In all, more than 375 prospective families registered for the event and, during the day, joined the School community in cheering on several of Sidwell’s athletic teams, most notably the football team that squeaked out a 20-19 home win over St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes.

Throughout the day, music, food, and fun filled the campus. The Upper School jazz band serenaded the crowd while student clubs raised money by offering games, snacks, souvenirs—and in the case of the Sidwell Crew Team, rousing competitions on the PowerErg rowing machines. The youngest kids played in the Fun Zone while alumni of all ages gathered in the Fan Zone to say hello to old friends and meet new ones.

Learn more about the Together We Shine Capital Campaign here.