On December 13th, our school celebrated one of Stuart’s most beloved traditions: Ring Ceremony. The event symbolizes the juniors’ transition to Upperclassmen and the bond between all Stuart girls. 

The ceremony occurred in Cor Unum, where the candles illuminated the dimly lit environment. Family members, faculty, and students gathered and watched as the juniors elegantly entered Cor Unum. The Ceremony opened with remarks from Dr.Muoio, Head of Upper School, followed by speeches from senior class vice president, Eliska Bohmanova, and senior class president,  Annarose Bourgoin St.Maurice. 

The room was full of anticipation as the juniors each got called to be rung. What makes this ceremony particularly special is the element of surprise. The juniors find out who their ring sisters are at the moment. As for the seniors, they were excited to finally reveal the secret. One by one, the seniors walked down the aisle to receive the ring, which was blessed by Monsignor Gregory, from Ms. Julia Breen Wall, Head of School, and then proceeded towards their ring sister, candle and ring in hand. Both the juniors and seniors beamed with joy as they met.

For the seniors, ringing a junior was bittersweet. Nyla Flamer, a current senior described her love for the tradition saying, “I loved ring ceremony! It meant that I could see my friend grow up and grow into her own self. I get to watch her become the amazing woman she is and it was a little emotional but it was happy and felt like a new beginning.” 

Each ring is specific to the junior receiver. The ring includes the Stuart deer on the front along with the initials and class year, which in this case was ‘26, engraved on the inside. Their rings were placed with the deer facing inward, symbolizing their current status as Stuart students. Next year, when they graduate, they will turn the deer outwards. As part of the tradition, the juniors had their rings turned one hundred times plus their year of graduation and one more turn for good luck- a total of 127 turns for the Class of 2026. 

As the ceremony concluded, the seniors proceeded out of Cor Unum and lined up in the hall. As the Class of 2026 exited Cor Unum, the seniors congratulated each one and turned their ring. 

Now with their ring on their finger, the juniors proudly embrace their place in this beautiful tradition as Upperclassmen.