Homecoming Breaks Ground

Homecoming Breaks Ground
Homecoming Breaks Ground

Revelry, games, great food, and friends were all on hand this weekend—so was the start of the new Upper School’s construction.

At Homecoming two years ago, Sidwell Friends celebrated and launched the public phase of its landmark $152 million Together We Shine campaign. The campaign’s centerpiece was the goal to raise the funds to begin construction work for the new Upper School on the Upton Street property. This year, Homecoming marked the results of that massive effort. On Friday evening, October 18, Head of School Bryan Garman, members of the board of trustees, volunteer leaders of the fundraising effort, and members of the Sidwell Friends community gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking to celebrate the campaign’s success and kickoff to the Upton project, which began in June.

“Sidwell Friends is pretty simple,” Garman said. “When it comes to time, talent, or resources, those friends who know us best support us most and expect the least recognition in return. There's something really special and Quakerly about that.”

The groundbreaking was followed by a dinner behind Zartman House where Garman told the gathered guests more about the extraordinary facility, its low-impact environmental footprint, its connection to nature based on research about successful learning spaces that promote wellness, and its cutting-edge classrooms for the digital age. “To bring people together to celebrate the community that is so essential to this School,” said Garman, “and to all pull in one direction to achieve what was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is extraordinary.”

Homecoming activities continued first thing Saturday morning with “A Look at Sidwell Friends Today,” a series of presentations that reflect just some of the School’s incredible highlights. Several 4th graders explained the importance of their Ethical Leadership Program capstone project. Upper School Principal Robbie Gross turned the tables on student journalists and interviewed them about Horizon, the School’s longstanding newspaper. And Upper School students and faculty discussed the physics curriculum and why the fundamental principles that govern the universe intrigue them.

The rest of the afternoon was spent outdoors on a perfect, sunny fall day. Athletic Director J. Michael Square held a football skills clinic, varsity teams took to the fields, dozens of school clubs sold sweet treats, the youngest friends made crafts in the Little Fox Zone, alumni reconnected in the Alumni Zone, and the jazz band kept the music alive across campus.


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