April 29, 2021
Dear Parents of Seniors,
Soon you will be the parents of a 2021 Loomis Chaffee graduate. Congratulations! You must be proud and excited! As we share with you the details of the schedule for Commencement 2021, Senior Night, and the Prom, we thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigated the challenging logistics of this year's activities. Commencement Day, Saturday, May 22: Commencement will take place at 10 a.m. on the lawns of the Loomis Homestead and the Head's House in the area directly in front of Founders Hall. To optimize the safety of all individuals, each senior will be permitted four (4) guests to attend the ceremony. Guest chairs will be placed in groups of four in a socially distant arrangement. Face masks must be worn at all times, and social distancing will be enforced. Seating for the ceremony will be available to families and guests starting at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. In the case of inclement weather, the ceremony will be held under the tent in the Grubbs Quadrangle.
The school requests that each family provide the names and emails of all who will attend. This will enable the school to contact all attendees should contact tracing become necessary. Please use the registration button below to link to the registration form. While we are not requiring testing or proof of vaccination, we do expect that all attendees are engaged in best practices prior to the ceremony. We are excited to offer the opportunity for family members to join their seniors on campus for this milestone occasion and remind them that guests attend at their own risk. The school is honored that surgeon and writer Pauline W. Chen '82 will deliver the Commencement address to the Class of 2021. Yesterday, the seniors selected their classmate John Howley as class speaker. Pauline and John will be a part of the traditional ceremony that also includes the awarding of Commencement prizes and, of course, the conferring of diplomas to our graduates.
The ceremony lasts approximately two hours. A boxed picnic lunch will be provided to all families immediately after the ceremony. At the conclusion of the Commencement lunch and after sufficient time for farewells, seniors are expected to pack up their rooms and depart campus.
The ceremony will be livestreamed in its entirety. Island Photography will photograph each graduate receiving his/her diploma and will also be available before and after the ceremony to take family photographs. Information about livestream access and how to purchase photographs will be available on the Commencement website.
To commemorate the occasion of your senior's graduation from Loomis Chaffee, please find a printable PDF of the Commencement announcement here.
Appropriate Commencement Attire: Graduates generally wear white/off-white dresses or navy blazers, ties, and light-colored slacks. Class of 2021 facemasks will be provided to the seniors. Guest attire is dressy casual.
Prom, Thursday, May 20: Prom will be held on campus under the tent in Grubbs Quadrangle. This is a seniors-only event and will feature all the formality and elegance of an off-campus prom. The evening will include a photography session, dinner reception, DJ, dancing, and post-prom late night breakfast. A link to the prom photograph gallery will be shared with parents. The school is organizing on-campus opportunities for tux rentals, tailoring, and hair services for prom-goers. Students will receive these details directly.
Senior Night, Friday, May 21: Senior Night is a traditional celebration of the class that this year includes a formal dinner and program. The soon-to-be-graduates will gather under the tent in the Grubbs Quadrangle for dinner and will move to the Olcott Center for the evening's program. This event is for seniors only; parts of the program will be recorded and posted for viewing.
Lodging for Guests from Afar: Please use the list on the Commencement webpage as a resource for overnight accommodations. Note: the cutoff dates for special Loomis Chaffee rates are coming up, in fact as soon as May 11.
This year's Commencement ceremony will be like no other, in part because it features the amazing Class of 2021 that has endured a challenging year with resilience and good humor. We look forward to celebrating them individually and collectively on The Island in just a few short weeks.
Many thanks, Commencement Coordinator Dean, Class of 2021 COVID-19 Coordinator
The Loomis Chaffee School • 4 Batchelder Road • Windsor, CT 06095 • 860.687.6000
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