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Eighth Grade Pin Ceremony

The eighth grade is a pivotal year in a young person’s life. It is often when they begin to better understand who they are and who they want to be. Eighth grade students are role models to their younger peers and take on leadership roles that help prepare them for their time in the Upper School. 

To mark the beginning of this final chapter in the Middle School, eighth graders were presented with a pin on Friday, October 22. When they were in the eighth grade, Kare Coley, Jaden Dahan, Eloise Khouzami, and Sophie Scherz concepted and designed the pin along with the help of retired art teacher Jon Detwiler. Now sophomores, the girls returned to the eighth grade pin ceremony to speak to Class of 2026 about the significance of the pin. Eighth grade leaders Minoo Nassiri and Onyeka Nwulia also spoke of their hopes for their class as they move forward in their final year. As students filed out of the Horn Theatre, Interim Head of Middle School Robyn Little and Associate Head of Middle School Kirk Robertson presented them with their pins. 

The pin is accompanied by a card that explains the significance of the design, stating:

“To mark the beginning of our final chapter of Middle School, this pin is a gift that we alone wear on our blazers, a challenge to honor one another's potential.  The connected rings illustrate how we can unite through the richness of our knowledge, experiences, and values we share from home and at McDonogh.  The rings intertwined beneath the “M” support and uphold McDonogh’s legacy; they are also separate enough for us to find our own paths and goals. This pin represents our opportunity to learn and to grow together this school year and challenges all future classes to breathe into their pin new life and meaning.”