A Fierce Embrace of All that Lies Ahead

On September 3, students and faculty gathered in Bardwell Auditorium for Opening Convocation and the official start of the 2024-25 school year.Dana Hall School’s 144th school year is officially underway. On Tuesday, September 3, students, faculty and staff convened in Bardwell Auditorium for the School’s traditional Opening Convocation. In addition to offering welcoming remarks, Head of School Katherine Bradley spoke to the community about “common ground,” which is both the name of space on campus on the ground floor of the Erisman Student Center, and — more symbolically — shared ideas, thoughts, perspectives or opinions.

“Respecting others enough to find common ground in the midst of differences enables us to build relationships and connections,” Bradley said. “Even if we don’t know each other well, and we find ourselves in a conversation full of disagreement, taking time to step back to find where we do have common ground means that we remain in a place of constructive conversation. This requires that we listen to understand one another rather than to win an argument. I encourage us all to work on finding common ground wherever we can.” 

C. Zhu ’27 shared a piano performance of “Soaring” by Robert Schumann. All-School Co-Presidents Y. Hao ’25 and B. Revanche ’25 introduced the theme that the student leaders selected to set the tone for the year: FIERCE. “The year of 2024-25 is one in which dragons breathe fire; one in which we breathe fiercely,” said Hao. “Our roars soar through the sky, through the clouds, where we are fearless, intelligent, energetic, responsible, caring and empowered.” Middle School Co-Presidents M. D’Agostino ’29 and D. Hassanein ’29 outlined their goals for the year, which include having a school where kindness and respect are valued, making endless memories in and out of the classroom, and making sure Dana Hall remains a positive environment for all community members. 

Student speaker N. Drago ’25 shared highlights from her summer internship at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in Boston. There, she supported dedicated professionals who cared deeply about their work. She observed that despite the competitive nature of their roles, prosecutors and defense attorneys often have friendly relationships outside of the courtroom, showing that even adversaries can share common bonds, she said. “This internship has given me a deeper understanding of people’s lives and perspectives,” Drago noted. “It has taught me the value of empathy and the importance of seeing things from multiple viewpoints.”

Faculty and staff offered a welcome gift in the form of a song: “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars, to which many students also sang along. Convocation concluded with the singing of the Alma Mater, which Bradley noted was written by Denise Bacon, a member of the Class of 1937 and longtime Head of the Dana Hall Music Department and School of Music.

Dana Hall opens the school year with 456 students in grades 5-12. During the first week of school, students participate in a regular schedule of classes and then head out on grade-level retreats to conclude the week.