On Thursday, May 11th, thirty-five Purnell seniors were inducted into the Purnell Alumnae Association at the Alumnae Tea. The high tea, served in Brook House, was initiated by Head of School Ms. Fox to honor the girls and set the tone for their future involvement with Purnell School. Also in attendance at the tea were several alumnae including the Alumna of the Year, Lisa Jo Hurbaugh '82, Gretchen Jaeckle '82, Meg Atkin '79, Kelly Martin Munz '88, and Lee Pierson Klipstein '78 . After some tea and sweets, the girls were presented with a necklace that was placed around their necks in a ceremony that culminated in a unity circle. The ceremony began with Alumna of the Year, Ms Hurbaugh, placing the necklace around the neck of Class President, Jadielle Wright. Then each girl placed the necklace around the neck of a classmate. The girls then found a place in the circle of white chairs that were on the Brook House porch. Ms Fox congratulated the girls and charged them with going out into the world to do great things and to always live by the school guidelines.
Purnell graduate Gretchen Julius '94, designed the necklace. The three circles of the necklace represent the school's guidelines. Each created in different color of gold, the circles likewise symbolize the diversity found at Purnell. Red and blue semiprecious stones hold the circles together, representing the fun and spirited competition between the Red and Blue teams. Finally, the circle design itself represents the unbroken chain of graduates past, present and future. Members of the class of 2006 were the first to receive the necklace which are now available to all graduates of Purnell. For more information on how you can purchase this lovely piece for yourself or a graduate you know, please contact Donna Martin at dmartin@purnell.org or just click here.
