Commencement 2026

Please check this page throughout the spring as we will update it regularly with information regarding Commencement and other Class of 2026 events.

KEY DATES:

April 18 - Spring Family Day
May 15 - Four-Year Senior Dinner
May 17 - Prom; Punch & Pictures
May 18 - Spring Carnival
May 19 - Baccalaureate
May 20 - Last day of senior classes; Alumni Association Induction Dinner
May 23 - Prize Night
May 24 - Commencement

EVENT INFORMATION

Alumni Association Induction Dinner

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 would like to request blank Frederick Gunn School letterhead to handwrite your senior letter, please contact Alli Fodor in Alumni & Development. 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 & Prize Night Dinner

Prize Night Dinner

All seniors and their families are invited to join us in the Solley Dining Hall from 5-6:30 p.m. for dinner.

Prize Night will be held on the Edward Wersebe Memorial Field starting at 7 p.m., following the Parents of Alumni Reception and Dinner.

Seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for parents and families. If you would like to sit with your student(s), they are welcome to sit with you instead of in their designated seats.

After Prize Night on Saturday evening, you may take your student(s) off campus, provided that they have received approval from the Dean of Students Office in advance. However, you must make certain that your student(s) signs out via REACH and that they return to campus before 12 a.m. check-in that evening. We ask that all students spend the night before Commencement on campus.

Moving Out

All graduating students need to be moved out of the dorms no later than 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 24. Throughout the week, dorm parents will be available to supervise and support seniors as they pack up their personal belongings in the dorm. Parents of boarding students are asked to pick up the majority of their student’s belongings and take them off campus by 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 23. It is recommended that seniors keep in the dorm only their bedding, Prize Night and Commencement attire, and a small bag of personal care items and clothing for their last night on campus. These last items can be stowed safely in your vehicle on Sunday morning, prior to the start of Commencement Exercises at 8:30 a.m. as seniors will not be permitted to return to their dorms after the ceremony. Students must turn in their key and FOB to their dorm parent before Commencement commitments on Sunday morning.

Please reach out to the Dean of Students (dos@frederickgunn.org) with any questions regarding the last week of school.

Parking

New Panel

COMMENCEMENT

Commencement Ceremony

Seniors will be required to check in at 8:30 a.m. in the Bourne Courtyard with the Dean of Students Office on Sunday morning. They will then be provided with their senior flower and/or alumni tie before taking their senior portrait.

Commencement exercises will be held on Sunday, May 24, starting at 10 a.m. under the tent on Edward Wersebe Memorial Field, where all family members, guests, students, and faculty will be able to sit together in one location.

Following the ceremony's conclusion, all seniors will process out of the tent and gather one last time as a class. Please join your graduating student(s) to capture the moment and take family photos.

Commencement Luncheon
Following Commencement, all seniors and their families are welcome to join us in Solley Dining Hall for a celebratory luncheon.

Seating

Photography

Accommodations and Dining

Dress Code

Below are the dress code guidelines for all Gunn graduates. Students are asked to select one of these two options for Commencement.

Each student is invited to choose either an alumni tie or the alumni scarf to accompany one of the following options for Commencement. The tie or scarf will be distributed by the school to each graduate.

Option 1:

White dress in a style and length that is appropriate for a morning graduation ceremony and appropriate footwear for processing in the ceremony. Please view the specific details in the link 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 contact the Dean of Students Office. The school will happily coordinate accommodations together.

Questions?

Please contact Alli Fodor at fodora@frederickgunn.org or 860-350-0130 ext 230.