![Class Day and Commencement 2024]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1718907678/rpcsorg/rd6iliywbyblhuub9txv/girlssigncopy.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1718907678/rpcsorg/rd6iliywbyblhuub9txv/girlssigncopy.jpg","width":400}])
Class Day and Commencement 2024
Congratulations to the Roland Park Country School Class of 2024! On Monday, June 3, 72 graduating seniors were recognized for their academic, athletic, artistic and service and citizenship achievements at an annual Class Day ceremony. Then, on Tuesday, June 4, the Class of 2024 and their families, along with the rest of the Upper School student body and all RPCS employees, gathered for Commencement, held in the RPCS Athletic Complex, that was also broadcast live on the RPCS website. Watch the Class Day video recording here and the Commencement video recording here and follow along with the digital program. See the photos from all of the commencement festivities here. Diploma photos, in addition to other Class Day and Commencement photos, will be made available for purchase through Irvin Simon later this month.
“A commencement is not just a mark of an ending, it’s a ceremony about what it’s like to really begin, to embrace all that’s within you already and to take the world by storm,” Mrs. Caroline Blatti, Head of School, told the graduates. “For each of you, I hope for the greatest of joys of your lives. I wish you deep laughter, profound love and the next stages of your academic journeys, that they be marked by curiosity, exploration, epiphany after epiphany and a continuing sense of confidence in who you are and what you are made of.”
The 2023-2024 Semiquavers and Somettos, the school’s auditioned music ensembles, then performed a beautiful rendition of “Found/Tonight,” before Phoebe Taylor, 2024 delivered a poignant and heartfelt senior speech. Building off the school catchphrase, “Are you RED-y?,” Phoebe assessed the readiness level of the Class of 2024. She shared some highlights of what the graduates are prepared for, including embarking on new beginnings, pursuing passions, leading for the greater good and not having to wear a uniform anymore. She also talked about what the senior class is not ready for, most notably, for saying goodbye to RPCS.
Phoebe Taylor, 2024, Student Speaker
“Seniors, please remember that we are, and always will be, REDS,” Phoebe told her classmates. “That means we are unique, we are resilient, we are exceptional. The ties that bind us, and the lessons we have learned will propel us to greatness…As we leave here today, set to embark on our journey of independence, I hope you will not be saddened about the things we’ll miss, but fueled by my final assessment. Class of 2024…we were born ready.”
The Honorable Martin P. Welch, a past parent and former Board of Trustee member, then delivered the commencement address. A leader in the community, Judge Welch shared some words of wisdom and encouragement from his various perspectives as a parent, Board member and a judge and mediator.
The Honorable Martin P. Welch, Commencement Speaker
“If your academic achievements, problem-solving skills, appreciation of different views and opinions, tenacity, and striving for the betterment of your RPCS community is any indicator, I predict that the 72 graduates seated here will be known not just as part of “Generation Z,” but also as the “Greatest Generation” of the 21st century,” Judge Welch said to the graduates. “You are about to cross the threshold into a world filled with endless possibilities, and I challenge you to be those individuals whose lives and careers will be the changemakers for the good of humanity.”
Judge Welch urged the Class of 2024 to become involved in their college or university and pursue causes that improve the lives and conditions of others, learn how to work with others and navigate disagreements, admit and take responsibility for mistakes, and ultimately give people the benefit of the doubt.
“Our nation and the world need committed young bright minds like the Class of 2024 to step forward and lead us out of the conditions in which we now find ourselves. I have great confidence that the foundation you have received here at RPCS will make you those agents of change.”
Finally, Judge Welch encouraged the graduates to build upon everything RPCS and their families have provided them to be the best stewards of our country and world and to use technology wisely. “Use your knowledge, critical thinking skills, and compassion in a productive manner. Do not allow technology and its exponential advancement to thwart or dull your ability to figure things out or to be creative. Do not lose your humanity,” Judge Welch told them.
After Upper School Head Mrs. Sara Franklin Rollfinke, President of the Board of Trustees Kyle Gore, and Mrs. Blatti distributed diplomas to each senior, the Board of Trustees thanked Mrs. Blatti for her eight years of service as Head of School as she steps down this summer. Then, the seniors and audience sang the school song.
As Mrs. Blatti told the Class of 2024, “Enjoy every moment of this day. Treasure this precious last time together as a class and as you reflect on what you have loved and will always remember about your time here at RPCS, also remember that today you had a chance to add a new collective memory together: you marked the close of one chapter of your lives while also simultaneously experiencing this extraordinary new beginning, together.”
We are so proud of this exceptional Class of 2024!
