Convocation, the official opening of Pingry’s school year since 1987, is an event of reverence and tradition as Middle and Upper School students reaffirm their commitment to the Honor Code by submitting signed Honor Code pledges to the Student Body President and Honor Board Chair.* Held in the Miller A. Bugliari ’52 Athletics Center on September 10 during the 100th anniversary year of the Honor Code, the event began with the opening procession led by Head of School Tim Lear and Chair of the Board of Trustees Ian Shrank ’71, followed by the trustees and faculty—all proudly wearing their academic gowns, a tradition passed down from universities of the Middle Ages.
The ceremony also included the presentation of the Letter-In-Life Award, the School’s highest honor, bestowed on a graduate who has earned distinction professionally and, by doing so, brought honor to Pingry; presenting this award in front of the student body also recognizes the potential that Pingry sees in every current student. The 2026 recipient is Dr. Robert E. Fullilove III ’62.
Excerpts from this year’s remarks:
“The Pingry curriculum is as good and varied as any in the country, so expanding your education and getting the most out of every class is important. Also remember what C. S. Lewis said: ‘It’s not thinking less of yourself. It is thinking of yourself less.’”
Senior faculty member Miller Bugliari ’52, beginning his 68th year at Pingry
“School is not a cave, but this room is full of people who are, in some sense, still sitting on that ledge with each other, some of you knowing exactly who’s beside you, some of you not yet…Go find out who’s sitting near you. Those boys survived that ledge partly because they were already a team before the water ever rose, already trusted each other before they needed to…Let’s stop pretending school is every person figuring it out alone in the dark…Show up for each other loudly enough, consistently enough, all one-hundred-and-sixty-something days of it, so that when this year is finally over, and someone looks back at what we built together, there’s only one word left to say about it. Brilliant.”
Student Body President Ishaan Kumar ’27, reflecting on the youth soccer team stuck in a cave in Thailand in the summer of 2018
“Much has changed since the Honor Code was written 100 years ago, but even then, students highlighted the importance of community. They wrote, ‘The members of the Pingry community should conduct themselves in a trustworthy manner that will further the best interests of the school, their class, and any teams or clubs to which they belong.’ In my opinion, this is the single most important line in the Honor Code…But community also means showing up for each other…Honor means recognizing when your classmates and teachers have worked tirelessly and making an effort to show that they are valued and that their passions are seen…So, as we step into the next 100 years of the Honor Code, I encourage you all to think deeper than the pledge you write on the bottom of every test. Without you, the Honor Code is just a piece of paper. It’s your actions and commitment to integrity that build a culture of support, a culture where we show up.”
Honor Board Chair Sophie Schachter ’27
“The Honor Code is something that needs to be alive and well…We are all affirming, at this institution, that we are about more than just an education. We are expressing commitment to a world that needs us, that needs the values that are expressed in our Honor Code…There is a commitment that we will do better, that we can do better, that we are dedicated to doing better…This is our moment. The future is calling us. The future demands that we be better…it is a future that is full of promise.”
Letter-In-Life Award Recipient Dr. Robert E. Fullilove III ’62
Watch Dr. Fullilove's full speech
“Why do we bother to pay so much attention to the Honor Code? The Honor Code will not be observed and respected unless it is repeatedly emphasized. There is a simple reason for this. Compliance with the Honor Code is hard and surprisingly complex. The Honor Code speaks to our entire lives and all our behavior, not just what we do inside these walls, and understanding how to apply what seems like simple language and rules actually is often not straightforward at all…More attention must be paid, and more deep thought must be given, to the Honor Code, almost daily, to make it both meaningful and understood…we must strive for honor in whatever we decide to undertake.”
Board of Trustees Chair Ian Shrank ’71
“The Honor Code describes not simply what we must do, but what we should do. It doesn’t assume that doing the right thing will always be easy or obvious. Instead, it gives us a shared vocabulary and a sense of direction…the Honor Code asks us to pay attention to one another and then to act on what we notice…it means considering how one choice, even a small one, affects the larger community…it means seeing something that needs to be done and not assuming that someone else is going to do it…Our Letter-In-Life recipient, Dr. Bob, shows us what can happen when devotion and attention to detail turn to curiosity, empathy, and ultimately, action…we depend on one another, but we cannot wait for someone else to notice, to care, or to act in our place. We know what we should do. Now let’s do it.”
Head of School Tim Lear on the importance of paying attention instead of acting passively
Watch Mr. Lear’s full speech
* The Honor Code pledge ceremony was initiated in 2007 by then–Student Body President Jessica Westerman ’08. Separately from Convocation, the Board of Trustees and all employees also sign the Honor Code every year.
***
The ceremony also recognized the Magistri, faculty members who have worked at Pingry for at least 25 years. Collectively, the 2026-27 school year’s 16 Magistri have served Pingry for 650 years.
Miller Bugliari ’52, Special Assistant to the Head of School (1959)
Michael Webster, Middle School History Teacher (1987)
Thomas Keating, Upper School English Teacher (1988)
Donna Thau, Middle School Math Teacher (1989)
Dr. Andrew Moore, Music Department Chair (1993)
Deirdre O’Mara, Biology Teacher (1995)
Ramsay Vehslage Jr., Middle School Science Teacher (1995)
Stephanie Romankow, Performing Arts Department Chair (1996)
Ted Corvino ’94, Upper School History Teacher (1998)
Sean McAnally, Upper School Music Teacher (1998)
Leslie Miller, Lower School P.E. Teacher (1998)
Dr. James Murray, Upper School History Teacher (1998)
Nigel Paton, Upper School English and Art History Teacher (1998)
Doug Scott, Director of Strength and Conditioning (1999)
Chris Shilts, Upper School English Teacher (2000)
Gerardo Vazquez, Upper School Spanish Teacher (2000)
Kennedy Buckley, Grade 4 Math Teacher (2001)
Dr. Ann Dickerson, Upper School English Teacher (2001)
Jill Driscoll, Grade 2 Teacher (2001)
Judy Lebowitz, Upper School Latin Teacher (2001)
Lil Torres, Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Health Teacher (2001)
Pictured: Special Assistant to the Head of School Miller Bugliari ’52, Chair of the Board of Trustees Ian Shrank ’71, Head of School Tim Lear, Student Body President Ishaan Kumar ’27, and Honor Board Chair Sophie Schachter ’27
Contact: Greg Waxberg ’96, Assistant Director of Communications, Writer/Editor