Church Farm honors grads from a distance

EXTON » Church Farm School will honor its 36 graduates on May 30, but for the first time in 97 years of Commencement ceremonies, it will have to do so from a distance.

This includes cherished traditions such as the conferring of Bibles and diplomas, the blessing from the Head of School and School Chaplain, the valedictory address, awarding of the coveted Headmaster’s Watch and the lining up of graduates along Chapel Lane.

This is a reality millions of high school seniors face in 2020, but for private school students, especially those who attend boarding schools, it is a harder pill to swallow.

These students have studied and lived together, some for as long as six years, creating a “brotherhood” that every graduate misses tremendously.

Says class president LaMarre Jean, of Norristown,

“I know I would not be the student I am today if it weren’t for the connections I have established in my five years at Church Farm School. I am no longer the 14-year-old boy who walked onto this campus with little sense of how the world worked. I have learned so much beyond academics during my time at CFS. My young mindset was forced to mature, because I never knew true friendship until I came here; I never understood brotherhood. I gained real strength at CFS.”

Church Farm School’s students have been away from its Exton campus since March 6, relocated to their homes across the world, more than half of them in the epicenter of the pandemic, New York City. Despite challenges, students have been committed to finishing the year strong, whether joining classes via Zoom, participating in photo challenges designed by the school’s Student Life office or doing at-home workouts recommended through the Athletics program. On Friday, our students, under the direction of longtime CFS music director Gary Gress, performed their annual spring piano and voice recital from their homes.

All 36 Church Farm School seniors have been accepted to leading colleges and universities, including Johns Hopkins University, Vanderbilt University (2), Bucknell University, Emory University, Howard University (4), the University of Pittsburgh and more. The end of the school year has been fraught with uncertainty, and the beginning of their college experience will likely be the same, yet the school has urged its soonto-be-graduates to commit to their goals.

The school has experienced similar vitality and generosity from its donor community; a recent 24-hour fundraising challenge, “Giving for Griffins,” resulted in nearly $90,000 in donations for the school from more than 150 board members, friends, alumni, parents and faculty. Says Head of School The Rev. Edmund K. Sherrill II, “We are determined that no one will be forced to choose between caring for their families and their son’s education. We are extremely grateful for so many individuals who are helping us to ensure the school’s mission during these uncertain times.”

Church Farm School’s boarding program creates indelible bonds for its students and faculty, but those bonds are conveyed to those in its day student population, too. Says Van Beever of Wayne, attending the College of Wooster next year, “CFS has given me more confidence in myself as a person that I can achieve nearly anything through hard work and some effort. It also taught me that I don’t need to put on a character in order to adapt to a new social environment.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO Church Farm graduation will be a bit different this year, as the coronavirus pandemic continues.