Commencement 2023

Get your cameras ready! Come join your student(s) on Sunday, May 14, at Conroy House, the home of Head of School Peter Becker and his family, starting at 4:30 p.m. to capture all of those memories before students depart for the prom! The address is: 13 Kirby Road, Washington.

Families, after students depart, please stay and join us for a brief reception.

The Four-Year Senior Dinner celebrates seniors who have spent all four years here with us at The Frederick Gunn School. The dinner will be held at Conroy House, the Head of School’s home.

The Senior Alumni Association Dinner is a celebratory dinner where the graduating class will receive their senior mugs, and be inducted into the Alumni Association. On this special occasion, it is a tradition for seniors to receive letters and notes of congratulations from their families, called “senior letters.”

As parents and guardians of graduating seniors, you are invited to write a letter to your graduating student(s)! Please note that this is separate from any congratulatory messages you may have submitted for the yearbook.

If you'd like to request blank Frederick Gunn School letterhead to handwrite your senior letter, please contact Alli Fodor in the Alumni & Development Office. Alternatively, you can email your letter to be printed on official letterhead.

 If returning by mail, please send your letter to:

 The Frederick Gunn School
Attn: Alli Fodor
99 Green Hill Road
Washington, CT 06793  

Prize Night will be held the evening of Saturday, May 27, under a tent on the Edward Wersebe Memorial Field starting at 7 p.m.

After Prize Night on Saturday evening, you may take your student off campus, provided that they have received approval from the Dean of Students Office in advance. However, you must make certain that your student signs out via REACH and that you return your student to campus in time for the 10:30 p.m. check-in that evening.

Commencement exercises will be held on Sunday, May 28, starting at 10 a.m. under a tent on Edward Wersebe Memorial Field, where all family members, guests, students, and faculty will be able to sit together in one location.

If you need special assistance for tent accessibility or parking, or If you plan to bring more than five guests to Prize Night or Commencement please contact Alli Fodor in our Alumni & Development Office by May 8.  

Formal photography will be provided during the weekend, including pictures of each senior receiving their diploma, as well as a formal Senior Class portrait. We will send families photo purchasing information by email after the event.

Parents and friends wishing to stay overnight who have not yet made reservations should do so immediately. Options for accommodations and dining are available on our website.

Below are the dress code guidelines for all graduating students, who are asked to choose one of these two options for Commencement. 

Option 1:
White dress in a style and length appropriate for a morning graduation ceremony and appropriate footwear for processing in the ceremony. You can view the specific details below.

Option 2:
Navy blue blazer, pressed khaki chinos or slacks, belt, white dress shirt, alumni tie (distributed by the school), and brown shoes.

Please follow this link for more details on the Commencement Dress Code. 

*If any of the above requirements creates a conflict for religious or cultural reasons, please let the Dean of Students Office know and we will coordinate accommodations together.

We continue to monitor local, state, and national COVID case numbers and will update our policy accordingly. You can review our current policy here.