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Watch Prize Day 2021

South Kent School’s 97th Prize Day ceremony was held on Sunday, May 9th, 2021. This year, to meet state guidelines and keep the community safe and healthy, our Prize Day ceremony was held outdoors on the John and Sandy Farr Field. Once again, as has been the case in all years in recent memory, we were blessed with a beautiful and sunny day on which to honor our graduating class.

With the faculty seated along the side of Farr Field, the graduates in front of them, and their parents in audience, the ceremony started with the School Hymn and a welcome from Head of School Lawrence A. Smith ’73. Mr. Smith then, as this year’s Prize Day coincided with Mother’s Day, asked the graduates to take a moment to go out into the audience and present their moms with flowers in thanks for all they do.

Sacristan Prefect Matthew Pointer then gave a scripture reading followed by the Prefect Address by Co-Head Prefect Caleb Ockman. Mr. Smith addressed the graduates, inspired by a prayer by Sir Francis Drake, on the importance of facing challenges, and instructed them to “dare boldly.” Academic and Cum Laude Awards were handed out, recognizing the graduates’ exceptional achievements in the classroom. (See list below.)

The School prizes, for which “Prize Day” is named, were then presented. Those who earned prizes are as follows:

William P. Gillette ’29 Trophy

Felikss Egils Gavars

John C. Farr ’58 Trophy

Noah Ryan Alvarez

Mary Flemming Brown and Arthur Wood Brown Award

Mohammed Seidu

George and Maggie Bartlett Cup

Osei Price and Nazir Maleek Williams

S.S.B. Cup

Matthew Elias Pointer

James S. Johnson Memorial Trophy

Sean Thomas Mulvihill

Headmaster's Cup

Caleb Edward Ockman

The Paul and Terese Abbott Cup

Samuel Sit, Jordan Amir Brown, Aidan Dagostino, Cameron Douglas Schainfeld, Nazir Maleek Williams, Jordan Gainey, Jacob Timothy Hlywiak, Luke Alexander Stankavage, Jayden Layne Doyle, Chika Nduka, Michael Cahill Rogan, Matthew McCool, Osei Price

COVID-19 may have forced many changes on this school year; however, our special tradition of telling our graduate's story during commencement, one of the foundations of our community, remains. In the weeks leading up to Prize Day, faculty, coaches, and staff all contribute memories and insight into a boy’s life here on the Hillside, which are then distilled down to a single personal narrative expressing our familiarity, esteem, and hopes for each graduate. This narrative is written on each student’s diploma, and during our Prize Day ceremony these narratives are read out loud to the community by Head of School Lawrence A. Smith ’73. The boys are then handed their diplomas and receive a blessing from Reverend Stephen B. Klots.

The service closed with prayers and a blessing from Father Klots, followed by the boys walking off the field between two lines of faculty cheering them on.

Class of 2021, as is written on your diplomas, “May God bless you and be with you always.”

Senior & PG Awards

Bartlett English Prize

Caleb Edward Ockman

Lester Wittenberg Drama Prize

Michael Cahill Rogan

Language Prize

Mingjie Chen

Humanities Prize

Shane Daniel Mendez

Glennon Prize for Creativity in Writing

Osei Price

George D. Knopf Science Prize

Nazir Maleek Williams

Mathematics Prize

Mingjie Chen

Art Prize

Mingjie Chen

Chapel Reading Prize

Simon Lawrence Clarke

Music Prize

Jinghao He

Scholastic Improvement Award

Landon Sartori

Academic Leader of the Graduating Class

Matthew Elias Pointer

We will miss all those who are leaving the Hillside but hope the Hillside never leaves the boys. We look forward to seeing our graduating seniors come back as alumni soon!

Pictures from Prize Day 2021