The Academy at Penguin Hall Celebrates the Start of the 2024-2025 Academic Year

The Academy at Penguin Hall celebrates the start of the 2024-25 academic year, focusing on respect, community-building, and growth.

WENHAM, MA, UNITED STATES, September 23, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Academy at Penguin Hall (APH) joyously marks the beginning of the 2024-25 academic year, welcoming students, families, and faculty back to campus. The school year kicked off with excitement, optimism, and a deep sense of community, setting the stage for a year filled with growth, learning, and respect.

In her welcoming address, Molly Martins, President of The Academy at Penguin Hall, emphasized Penguin Hall’s commitment to its core values and the importance of respect in building a strong, united community.

“Respect is more than just a value; it is the foundation of our community,” said Martins. “It shapes the way we interact with one another, how we approach our studies, and how we engage with the world around us. It is the guiding principle that ensures every member of our community feels valued, heard, and empowered.”

The festivities began last week with the annual All School BBQ held on the South Lawn. Students, families, and faculty members gathered to reconnect and meet new faces in the Penguin Hall community. This time-honored tradition fosters a sense of belonging and sets the tone for the academic year ahead.

The school’s convocation ceremony, a hallmark of the Penguin Hall experience, took place on Tuesday. The ceremony began with the all-school welcome handshake, which symbolizes the shared respect and connections that bind the Penguin Hall community together. Each year, the school highlights one of its core values. For the 2024-25 school year, that core value is respect.

Martins’ convocation address underscored the significance of respect in every aspect of life at Penguin Hall. “Respect begins with yourself,” she said. “I encourage each of you to embrace your individuality, take pride in your strengths, and face your challenges with determination. Respecting yourself means taking your education seriously and understanding that your pursuit of knowledge is not just for the moment, but for the future we are building together.”

Students were also inspired by reflections from their peers, as members of the Student Leadership Council (SLC) shared insights on Penguin Hall’s core values of respect, resilience, courage, and integrity. SLC President Kiyah Brice (Class of ’25) spoke eloquently on the meaning of respect at Penguin Hall, saying, “To receive respect, you must first give it. Respect means valuing each others’ views even when we may disagree, thinking before speaking, communicating the way you would want to be spoken to, [and] being an asset to your community because you add on to the comfortability of the environment. [It means you] handle even the toughest situations with peace to obtain decorum.”

The value of resilience was highlighted by Emilie Little (’25) and Jasmine Batistini (’25), who encouraged their peers to see challenges as opportunities for growth in a shared speech. “Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt in the face of adversity, and continue moving forward despite challenges. It’s not merely about enduring hardships but growing stronger from them.”

Lauren Imuze (’26) spoke on the theme of courage. She reminded students that courage isn’t about being fearless but about embracing discomfort and challenging oneself to grow.

“To be courageous is to acknowledge and embrace your discomfort with the what-ifs and defy them,” said Imuze. “This is easier said than done [because] many of us are spiraling and thinking, ‘What if I get too much homework? What if I end up at the end of the line for lunch?’ And deep down for most of us, ‘What if no one accepts me?’”

Finally, Marcella Mukasa (’27) reflected on the value of integrity, urging her peers to embody honesty and strong moral principles. “Integrity is ‘the quality of being honest, and having strong moral principles’ or ‘the state of being whole and undivided.’ In my short time at The Academy at Penguin Hall, I have witnessed integrity in each and every one of us.”

As Penguin Hall embarks on the 2024-25 academic year, the school community is filled with optimism for the future. “As we stand at the threshold of this new year, let us move forward with respect for our journey—both where we have been and where we are going,” said Martins. “In every classroom, on every sports field, and in every conversation, let respect be what connects us.”

With the core value of respect guiding the way, Penguin Hall is poised for a year of growth, learning, and community-building. Students and faculty alike are eager to embrace the opportunities ahead, confident in their ability to make a positive impact both within and beyond the school’s walls.

For more information about The Academy at Penguin Hall and the exciting events of the 2024-25 school year, visit Penguin Hall’s website.

About the Academy at Penguin Hall

Founded in 2015 in Wenham, Massachusetts, The Academy at Penguin Hall is an independent all-girls preparatory school dedicated to empowering students to live and lead exemplary lives. With a rigorous curriculum that emphasizes intellectual risk-taking, critical thinking, and experiential learning, The Academy at Penguin Hall prepares its graduates to become confident leaders and changemakers in the real world.

Beth Fielder
The Academy at Penguin Hall
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