Red Wings Soar as Students, Alumni, and Professional Community Members Gather for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend
The Rivers School welcomed students, alumni, and members of the professional community to connect and reconnect during Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. Familiar faces and Red Wing spirit abounded for the weekend-long celebration of community and tradition.
Festivities began on Friday with a community gathering honoring the legacy of beloved faculty member Arturo Bagley. Intimate and moving, the event featured poignant remarks from current and former community members, establishing a thoughtful space that remained open throughout the weekend for ongoing reflection.
Friday evening also featured a reunion dinner and an exciting varsity girls’ field hockey game under the lights at Davis Field. Tyler Constantino ’29 performed the national anthem, and then the team took the field against St. Mark’s School, resulting in a 4–0 shutout victory. Off campus at Burchard Park, the Rivers community gathered to cheer for the boys’ and girls’ cross-country teams. The boys’ team defeated Austin Prep, led by Dash Claflin ’29, who won the race and set a personal best with a time of 16:52. Colby Crawford ’28 and Alex Kovtunenko ’28 both set personal best times as well and helped pace the Red Wings. The girls’ team was led by Suzanna Jolig ’30 and Sylvie O’Leary-Stratford ’30, who both set personal bests as well.
The festive energy continued on campus on Saturday, when classic homecoming traditions were met with Halloween spirit. Families enjoyed the non-stop activity of a bounce house, face painting, and visits with farm animals at the Barn Babies interactive petting zoo. Food was a highlight, with crowds lining up for made-to-order sandwiches from Roxy’s Grilled Cheese and treats from Elite Dough Cookies.
Meanwhile, across campus, alumni gathered for a reunion luncheon and the subsequent Jarzavek lecture, for which History Department Chair Ben Leeming delivered an engaging discussion on his book, The Americas’ First Sermons: The Nahuatl Sermonary of Fray Bernardino de Sahagún.
Competitive spirit and camaraderie prevailed throughout the afternoon as Rivers athletics notched four additional varsity victories. In MacDowell, the varsity girls’ volleyball team delivered a 3–0 sweep over St. Mark’s. In soccer, both Rivers teams achieved clean sweeps against St. Mark’s, with boys’ varsity securing a 4–0 win and girls’ varsity earning a 1–0 triumph. Caroline Sorel ’27 sang the national anthem before the final contest of the weekend: a varsity football matchup against Brooks. The Red Wings were victorious with a score of 21–15, capping off a victorious weekend for the Red Wings.
Director of Athletics Kristin Cannon shared her enthusiasm for the weekend’s achievements: “It was a great homecoming on a beautiful fall weekend for our fall teams. Our student-athletes gave their all representing Rivers with integrity, teamwork, and determination throughout an unforgettable Homecoming. Thank you to the entire Red Wing family for filling the sidelines and supporting our teams and student-athletes to achieve personal bests and victories. Go, Red Wings!”
Director of Family and Alumni Engagement Janet McKeeney was similarly enthusiastic. “Homecoming and Reunion Weekend brought the community together for an unforgettable weekend of celebration, reconnection, and tradition,” she said. “Having so many generations of Rivers alumni, families, and friends back on campus made this weekend truly special.”
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