May at Chatham Hall

May at Chatham Hall has always carried a kind of magic that is impossible to fully capture unless you have lived it. To many, May represents the rich and unique traditions found only at Chatham Hall. These are shared experiences among alumnae that cannot be fully conveyed from the outside, only recognized by those who have felt them themselves. The campus feels different this time of year: full of anticipation, reflection, celebration, and the quiet understanding that some moments will become memories students carry for the rest of their lives.

That rhythm of tradition begins long before the final weekend of celebration. Throughout the year, Senior Chapel Talks take place in St. Mary’s Chapel, offering moments of reflection, leadership, and voice as each senior class shares its collective story. These talks become an early thread in the larger tapestry of May: a steady reminder that leadership at Chatham Hall is both personal and shared, shaped over time rather than in a single moment.

As May arrives, the energy on campus begins to build. It is the season of Ring Hunt, when Juniors search campus through a scavenger hunt of clues and surprises, waiting for the final discovery that makes the experience complete. At the end of their journey, each Junior finds special tokens created just for her by the Senior who will present her ring the following day. In that moment, tradition becomes deeply personal, an intentional passing of connection from one student to the next.

The evening that follows is Song Contest, when voices rise together in shared tradition and class pride fills the space between generations. It is a celebration of identity and unity, where competition and community exist side by side, echoing across campus in a way that feels both timeless and immediate.

Later that night, the Lantern Ceremony transforms the rhythm and leadership of the School. Juniors receive their Chatham Hall rings from the Seniors who have guided them over the past several years, and in doing so, they step into a new role within the community. The ceremony is a symbolic and powerful ritual that invites the Juniors to take over the leadership of the School, including claiming the Senior Stairs, as they begin to understand what it means to carry responsibility forward. It is not only a moment of recognition, but a deliberate passing of stewardship from one class to the next.

Saturday morning brings Baccalaureate in St. Mary’s Chapel, a quiet and reverent gathering that reflects on gratitude, growth, and the journey ahead. And then, on the lawn in front of Pruden Hall, Commencement unfolds, with Seniors dressed in white, seated in rows touched by morning light and dew, marking both an ending and a beginning in the same breath.

Everything that happens in May becomes a quiet but powerful expression of transition, an unfolding passage of leadership and growth from one class to the next. At its core, it all ties back to the Purple and Golden Rule, founded upon the expectation of mutual respect, consideration, and thoughtfulness. The rule holds all members of the Chatham Hall community accountable and seeks to create a principled and caring sisterhood, the very foundation upon which these traditions and the leadership they represent are built.

The beauty of the campus itself seems to participate in the season. The red brick buildings glow warmly in the late spring light, framed by new growth and the soft spill of purple iris blooming along familiar walkways. Curtis’s Garden reaches full splendor in May, a quiet and intentional burst of color and life that becomes a gathering place for reflection and conversation. 

In the early morning, just before Commencement, dew gathers on the chairs set out on the lawn in front of Pruden Hall, each seat waiting in stillness as if holding its breath for what is about to begin. Across campus, St. Mary’s Chapel stands with quiet elegance, its presence central to so many of the School’s most meaningful traditions: Senior Chapel Talks, Fall and Spring Convocation, Lessons and Carols, Baccalaureate, each one layered into the memory of those who have passed through its doors.

These traditions matter because they connect generations of alumnae across decades. Long after graduation, alumnae may forget schedules or assignments, but they remember the feeling of these moments: the anticipation before announcements, the laughter during Ring Hunt, the glow of lantern light against Pruden, and the emotion of Commencement morning.

Jeanne Wagoner and Cathy LaDuke both understood that the heart of Chatham Hall was never found solely in classrooms, performances, or athletic fields, but in the relationships, rituals, and shared experiences that shaped generations of students long after graduation. While each made an undeniable impact through athletics, their true legacy extended far beyond competition. They were steady presences in the daily rhythm of campus life, as mentors, encouragers, listeners, and champions of the traditions that helped students feel connected to something larger than themselves.

Miss Wagoner helped cultivate a culture of belonging and school spirit that became woven into the identity of Chatham Hall. Through decades of mentorship and leadership, she shaped not only students but the feeling of community itself.

Years later, La became known as a beloved Keeper of Traditions, recognizing that the moments students remembered most deeply were often the ones rooted in ritual, continuity, and shared experience. She understood that traditions were not simply ceremonies to preserve, but meaningful passages that helped one generation of girls pass leadership, responsibility, and sisterhood to the next.

In many ways, the traditions both Miss Wagoner and La cherished continue to serve as reminders that the Chatham Hall experience is built not only on achievement, but on connection, stewardship, and the enduring responsibility to carry the community forward for those who come next.