Parents, grandparents, alumni, and friends gathered at Canterbury over the weekend for Homecoming and Parents' Weekend tied into one - a busy yet exciting weekend for the entire community.
Parents joined their students for classes on Friday and Saturday, attending "mini-sessions" to get a feel for what their students do with their teachers everyday. Keiko Mathewson, Language Department Chair, led her students through teaching their parents in Spanish about the course topics they had covered. In the Mathematics Department, Betsy Vuchinich practiced proportions with her Algebra I class and did proof puzzles with the parents in her Geometry class. This new Parents' Weekend format allowed family members to truly experience being on the Canterbury hilltop.
Following classes on Friday evening, parents joined Canterbury faculty for the Annual Benefit Auction. Prizes varied from on-campus favorites such as the "Dean for a Day" where students play the role of Dean of Students Jake Dellorco (setting the dress code, deciding the dining hall menu, and organizing school meeting) to a holiday vacation in Paint Bank, Virginia. The evening, led by Glenn Schwitter, Director of Advancement, and current parent ('18, '21) Nancy Hawley, was filled with celebration and festivity.
Following an afternoon of watching Canterbury compete across campus against Berkshire, Canterbury's best of the best alumni-athletes gathered for the Hall of Fame induction. Inductees and their families, some of whom had not returned to campus for over 30 years, joined classmates for an evening of honoring their achievements, remembering their teammates, and celebrating Canterbury. This year's class of inductees Coach Donald Robert, the 1970 Wrestling Team, and 13 individual athletes: Lawrence Lessing '28 (five sport athlete), Thomas Haire Sr. '30 (football, hockey), Terence McBride '66 (football, hockey, golf), Robert Gilbane '67 (football, hockey, track & field), Edward Wallace '67 (swimming), Robert Steele '72 (basketball, golf), Michael Bourdeau '73 (soccer, basketball, baseball), John Sargeant '75 (football, basketball, lacrosse), Debra O'Connor Cully '78 (soccer, basketball, track & field), Sandy Foster Swindler '82 (swimming) Peter Lappin '84 (football, hockey, golf).
The evening began with a convocation from Father Tim Valentine, Canterbury's resident chaplain, and opening remarks from Board of Trustees President Bob Steers '71 and Head of School Rachel Stone. Athletics Director Jim Stone led the speeches on each inductee and their accolades. This year marked the third annual induction ceremony remembering and honoring those who made Canterbury great and continue to inspire the best of athletics from our current student-athletes.
To view additional photos of the weekend (Parents' Weekend, Auction, Homecoming, and Hall of Fame), please see our Flickr here.