300!
Christ School commences with its 122nd year of classes Tuesday and enrollment has never been higher in the long and storied history of the school.
Sunday's Convocation ceremony was the first full gathering of 300 boys from 18 different states and eight countries. With the evening sun shining down on Yard A, Greenies rose from their seats for the traditional ringing of the Angelus bell by Verger Sebastian Knight ’23.
Head of School Dr. Sean Jenkins addressed the students and faculty next.
"The demands are high and so are the rewards of this journey," Dr. Jenkins said.
"It's perfectly normal for you to have butterflies. If we are honest with ourselves, all of us have them as we begin this new school year. I certainly do. Here you will find a warm and welcoming community. We are a school of brotherhood and close relationships. We will ask a lot of you. We will ask you do the little things that over time lead to an arc of growth and development."
Christ School’s previous record for enrollment was 295 boys, set in 2021 and coinciding with the year that Dr. Jenkins and his family first joined the community.
“Being at Christ School isn’t just about your development, it’s about being a part of something bigger than you," Dr. Jenkins told the boys Sunday.
"So, your charge, as it is for all of us, is to leave this place better than you found it. Gentlemen, Christ School is your home, and we are your family. So again, welcome. Godspeed to each of you as we begin our new year together.”
Later in Sunday's ceremony, Head Prefect Jack Shimer '23 received a rowing oar from Assistant Head of School Ron Ramsey. The oar, signed by every member of the Class of 2023, symbolizes the progress and leadership that is expected out of the seniors between now and graduation in May.
The Jenkins family hosted an ice cream social for new students in Boxwood House to close Sunday night. More photos from Convocation can be viewed at Facebook.com/ChristSchool.org.
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Founded in 1900 and nestled on 500 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina, Christ School is a leading all-boys college preparatory boarding and day school for 300 boys from 18 states and 8 countries. Christ School’s mission is to produce educated men of good character, prepared for both scholastic achievement in college and productive citizenship in adult society. We achieve our mission through four pillars: academic rigor, leadership, spirituality, and the dignity of manual labor.