Commencement

When & where
Commencement will be held on Thursday, May 21, beginning at 11 a.m. on Sharpe House lawn. 

Coffee at Sharpe House
Prior to the commencement ceremony, parents and students are invited to Sharpe House for coffee. As is tradition, Head of School Chris Fortunato and his wife, Erin, will be giving graduates flowers to wear and carry during the program. Photographers from Highpoint Pictures will be photographing the ceremony, as will Blair’s professional photographer (and, while Highpoint’s images can be purchased, Blair will upload its own photos to Photoshelter, where parents can download them free-of-charge). 

Seating & inclement weather
There is plenty of unreserved seating for commencement. In the event of inclement weather, graduation will take place under the tent on Marcial Field.

Lunch
Following commencement, there will be a buffet luncheon for the entire community on Marcial Field. This will be moved to the field House in Hardwick Hall in case of inclement weather. Graduates are expected to leave campus by 4 p.m.

Parents and family members are invited to attend the Class of 2020 Assembly, which will take place on Wednesday at 5 p.m. in Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts. The assembly will be followed by a reception on the Armstrong-Hipkins patio. A special dinner for seniors, families and faculty will be served from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. in the Wean Dining Room.

Our Baccalaureate service will begin at 8 p.m. in Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts' DuBois Theatre. Seniors will gather in front of Timken Library at 7:30 p.m. and will process across campus to the theatre. 

There is an informal dance for seniors only from 10 to 11:30 p.m. The School expects all senior boarding students to spend Wednesday night in their dormitories. Any exceptions need to be cleared through the student's Housemaster. We control traffic on and off campus that night very carefully. School entrances will be closed at 9 p.m.; day students or boarders leaving with their parents after 9 p.m. must remain off campus until Thursday morning. 

For anyone unable to attend Monday’s Senior Prize Assembly, Wednesday’s Class of 2020 Assembly, Baccalaureate or Thursday’s Commencement, we will stream live video of the ceremonies on our livestream channel and website. The broadcasts will also be archived for future viewing.

Highpoint Pictures will be on campus to photograph Thursday’s events. They are available to capture family photos before and after the graduation ceremony and will be taking pictures of all students receiving their diplomas. Please check Blair’s website in early June for details on how to purchase photos. 

Blair’s professional photographer will also be shooting commencement festivities and these photos will be available to parents and students on Blair’s website and Photoshelter channel free of charge.

If you haven’t already, we suggest you make your hotel reservations now, as area hotels can fill up due to high demand. View a complete list of area lodging. 

For commencement, students should wear blue blazers, gray slacks, white shirts, conservative ties and appropriate footwear (including socks), or long or mid-calf, off-white or white dresses and appropriate shoes.

For the Senior Prize Assembly, Class of 2020 Assembly and Baccalaureate, family-style dinner dress code is appropriate. 

Graduation announcements will be available in the college counseling office in the spring and seniors will be notified. These are meant for families to mail to friends and other family members.

Dress practically for the week's festivities and bring sunglasses, hats and sunscreen for commencement. Commencement events will be held in a variety of buildings around campus, as well as outdoors. For handicapped seating or other special assistance, questions should be directed to Dean of College Counseling Lewis Stival at (908) 362-3122