The 2021-22 school year brings with it Concord Academy’s highly anticipated Centennial Year and Celebration. The school’s Centennial Planning and Advisory Team has been hard at work planning a suitable commemoration for this momentous occasion. The festivities are expected to span nearly fourteen months: beginning in April 2022, which marks 100 years since the school’s incorporation; continuing with landmark celebrations in the fall commemorating the beginning of classes at CA; and coming to a close during the 2023 reunion weekend in June.
One focus of the celebration will be commemorating CA’s remarkable history, and reflecting on the evolution of the school from its beginnings in Haines House to the present. Both the stories of former Concord Academy community members and the spaces comprising the school’s historical campus will be recognized in the celebration. Lucille Stott, a former CA teacher and administrator, is working to compile images and record memories to create a Centennial book that will take readers through the stories of people from Concord Academy’s past. CA is also looking to incorporate and honor the town of Concord which has supported the institution for nearly a century.
Another focus of the committee while planning the celebration was ways the Centennial programming could reflect CA’s values and mission of community. In an article issued on Concord Academy’s website, Fay Lampert Shutzer ’65, President of the Board of Trustees, and Karen McAlmon ’75, President of the Alumnae/I Association described the Centennial as “a special moment to explore CA’s history and traditions, shine a light on campus life today, promote our mission and vision, and affirm why CA matters in the world.”
In terms of the festivities, the school is looking to involve current and past community members from around the world through regional, virtual, and on-campus events that will occur throughout the Centennial year. Additionally, the Centennial team is planning to share parts of CA’s history in the hallways throughout campus for casual viewing. They are also developing exhibits that will delve into academic and student life, arts, and athletics at CA throughout history.
It’s safe to say the whole community is eagerly anticipating the events that are being planned by the dedicated Centennial Team. When asked about what she was looking forward to in the school’s centennial year, interim Head of School Sarah Yeh said she was “excited about ways the Centennial will highlight the role CA has played in the lives of generations of CA people, and the ways generations of people have shaped CA. I’m thrilled that the Centennial will feature material and stories that have been lurking in the archives and in alum memories, and that gatherings will bring us together to know and learn from one another’s experiences in ways that will help CA continue to grow.”