Celebrating the Class of 2021

The largest class in our school's history was able to graduate with friends and family in attendance.

With a slight breeze in the air, food trucks lining the front loop, and the CDS Scaglione Family Pavilion set up for an event, you almost forgot that last year at this time we were honoring our Class of 2020 with virtual celebrations, socially distant visits, and 12 small group, masked graduations.

On Thursday, May 20, 2021, CDS families, seniors, faculty, and staff came together for the annual senior honoring event. Typically held in a ballroom setting at a local hotel, this year CDS opted to plan an outdoor, more casual event on campus to ensure the safety of everyone. With food trucks offering everything from grilled cheese and grouper tacos to donuts and ice cream, there was a palpable feeling of joy at being able to finally all just be together. Faculty advisors regaled the crowd with stories of their advisory gatherings, virtual meet ups, and coaxing their kids to do Khan Academy. There were awards given out for IB Character Traits, leadership, and service. Laughter was heard throughout the evening and the 8:00 pm end time of the program dragged on until almost 9:00 pm because people didn’t want the night to end.

With the sunrise on Friday, May 21, 2021, the set up for an in-person, outdoor graduation began. The stage was set and chairs were spaced 6 feet apart for the graduates, and behind them, their families. At 10:00 am, the graduating seniors began their rehearsal of what would be a pivotal moment in their lives, just several hours later.

As the clock turned to 3:00 pm, the graduates arrived in their dresses and suits, ready to put on their red gowns and regalia. There was a collective sigh of relief that the weather had held, that everything was going according to plan, and we were really going to have an in-person graduation after the most unpredictable year in CDS (and the world’s) history.

Graduation at CDS for the Class of 2021 was a day of pomp and circumstance, just like it is supposed to be. The Valedictorian and Salutatorian addressed their peers with grace, confidence, and words of wisdom. For Head of School, Sara Rubinstein, there was the added feeling of achievement as this was the freshman class she welcomed to the Upper School upon being hired four years ago as the Head of Upper School. These Class of 2021 students had reached their goals despite obstacles and challenges that they could not have foreseen. The words unprecedented, determination, and remarkable were used over and over to describe this exceptional group and by the end of the day, there was nothing left to do but toss their caps in the air and head home.

Congratulations to the CDS Class of 2021 graduates, their families, their teachers, and their advisors. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that you will succeed no matter what life throws at you, because you already have.

Please visit the Class of 2021's Senior Page on our website to view video recordings of the Senior Honoring Event Tribute Program and Commencement Exercises. You can also read bios of our 98 amazing graduates!

Class of 2021 Senior Page