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WYVERN TALES

A Newsletter for the Alumni Community

July 2022

UPCOMING EVENTS

It all starts on Friday, October 14, with the chance to attend classes and an all-school pep rally, and continues on Saturday, October 15 with a fun run, Athletic Hall of Fame Induction, school tours, Oxford Chat, reunion dinner, affinity gatherings, and an afternoon full of Hewett Day games. Cheer on KO field hockey, soccer, cross country, volleyball, and football players as they take to the fields and courts to defend the Wyvern Den.


To make sure you receive your invitation, please complete this contact survey or reach out to the Alumni Office at 860-727-5012 to make sure we have your updated address.

CAMPUS NEWS

You Did It!


Thanks to the support of YOU, our KO Community, we not only met our KO Annual Fund goal but exceeded it with over $1,319,000 raised during the 2021-22 fiscal year!


Your generosity benefitted the everyday lives of our teachers and students. You helped them grow as educators, scholars, athletes, and artists. 


Your gifts provided classroom supplies, transportation, financial aid, technology updates, guest speakers, and countless educational opportunities and experiences for our young Wyverns.


KO could not be more grateful for your support and the loyalty you've shown to the school.


Have a wonderful summer!

KO WINS AGAIN


Kingswood Oxford Theater Department had a huge night at the Halo Awards held at the Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury on Thursday, June 2. The students won Best Musical for their rendition of 9 to 5: The Musical, performed in late February and directed by Kyle Reynolds, KO’s theater director. This is the second time in two years that KO won Best Musical, the first was for Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2020.


Additionally, KO’s 9 to 5 took home the prize for Best Choreography, and Best Specialty Ensemble.

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Street Renaming

Isaias Wooden '22 and Regina Miller '22 spoke at the West Hartford Town Planning and Zoning Commission meeting in favor of Wooden's petition to rename Sycamore Lane as Peleg Nott Lane, in honor of the revolutionary war veteran and Black Governor of Connecticut. Their request was approved by the commission!

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Middle School

Civil War Focus


Through their original exhibits, the students addressed the question, “How do we remember history in a way that allows for multiple perspectives and experiences, dispels myths and inaccuracies, and shows a full understanding of an event, person, or issue?" 

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Swim, Bike & Run!

Elizabeth Guerrera '10 recently competed in the IRONMAN 70.3 Musselman triathlon on Seneca Lake in Geneva, NY finishing in 5:36:22. Liz qualified for and will compete in the World Championships in St. George’s Utah in October. Liz has competed in several half triathlons and will compete in her first full ‘Steel Distance’ triathlon in Penn Yan, NY in August.

Congrats to the

Class of 2022!

Kingswood Oxford’s Class of 2022, comprised of 98 students, was conferred their diplomas in the 110th Commencement ceremony on Friday, May 27 with keynote speaker Ron Monroe who retired in June after a 35-year tenure at KO.

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KO Big Thinkers Blog


KO Faculty, Administrators, and Staff are passionate about helping students to succeed and become stronger, more confident individuals. The KO Big Thinkers Blog shares their thoughts on how they navigate that path with their students.

View the Blog

ARCHIVISTS CORNER

with Brenda Semmelrock

In Remembrance...


The KO Class of 2022 has graduated! It was a beautiful day in every way. As I sat looking at all the graduates during the ceremony, I recalled my time with many of them in the classroom, which brought back memories of my senior year.Take a moment and think back to your senior year. What are your most treasured memories? The feeling of being an Upperclassman or Upperclasswoman was quite satisfying, right? Here at KO, there were and still are privileges for seniors such as the senior green on the Kingswood campus, and the senior lounge on the Oxford campus. What were yours?


For some time now, graduation has been celebrated on the Friday leading into Memorial Day weekend. Memorial Day-a solemn day to remember all those that served in the Armed Forces and died doing so. I come from a family with those that served in WWII, the Korean Conflict, and most recently, in Afghanistan. Fortunately, my father, uncles and nephew all made it home. Young Kingswood seniors, excited about their final year and wondering, after such intense preparation as a Kingswood student, which college they would attend. Carefree in so many ways… Then, there came a calling to war. Sadly, there were some that did not make it home. At this time, I would like to dedicate this article to all graduates who served and whom we remember. In the lobby of the dining hall hangs a case displaying the photos of Kingswood men who died in WWII. Most of the photos were collected by Headmaster George Nicholson. We also remember two KO graduates that lost their lives in a new type of war-that of terrorism. 


I have very few names in the archive database for those Kingswood, Oxford, and KO men and women who served in Vietnam, the Gulf War and Afghanistan. I would like to make that list as complete as possible, so I put out a plea to my loyal readers to please send me the names of classmates you know who served in the Armed Forces in any conflict- name, in what capacity did they serve? Those names need to be added to that wall for all to see! Any information you can share will be appreciated, even if you do not have the complete story.


Another school year is over! #40 for me at KO! Thank you so much for keeping up with Wyvern Tales. Thanks to Frances Morris for putting it all together! Wishing you all a very happy summer. I’ll be back in touch with new and interesting stories from archives in the fall!


Brenda

NOTES FROM ADMISSIONS

KO's Office of Admissions is already planning our upcoming admissions cycle. Help us spread the word about our Open House on Sunday, October 23. More details to come, in the meantime prospective families can inquire to stay in touch with us on our website, as well as check back to our events page for more details and other upcoming fall events in the coming months.

You can also Refer a Wyvern to us here in this form!

Wyvern Nation would like to thank our ASSIST host families who made a profound impact on our visiting scholars this year! We appreciate these Wyvern families that have opened their hearts and homes to make this year such a positive one for Hugo and Kata. Please take a moment to hear what Kata, our Form 5 scholar from Hungary, had to say about her experience. We also invite you to listen to what a former host family has to say about hosting.

 

KO is in need of new host families for our ASSIST scholars for the 2022-2023 academic year - for a semester, a year, or during the school break periods.  

 

If you are ready to take this step, KO needs hosts for, Mina (Germany) and Janis (Austria) both Form 4 students. Mina loves field hockey, baking, reading, and chemistry. Janis is a musician who wants to play ice hockey and tennis. Please take a minute to look through their profiles to find out more about them! 

 

Volunteering for this incredible opportunity will allow our two NEW ASSIST scholars to study at KO and experience life in CT next school year while enriching your own family life. In return, Wyvern Nation will have the global perspectives and rich experiences of these two exceptional scholars in our classrooms, on our teams, and in our community.

 

If you have any questions about the process, the logistics would like to offer to host, or questions on anything ASSIST, please reach out to Michelle Kollen, Associate Director of Admissions and the International Coordinator at 860-727-5006 or email her at [email protected].

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