Annual Blazer Ceremony Celebrates Newest SMCS students
With a storied history spanning 173 years, St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) recently celebrated one of its newest traditions.
Established in 2010, the Blazer Ceremony officially welcomes Grade 7 and new Grade 8 students to SMCS as they don their school blazers for the first time with the help of senior students.
At the annual ceremony, new students are processed into the courtyard, where the senior student leaders await them. After opening words of welcome from the school administration, student blazers are blessed by Fr. Andrew Leung, CSB, president, and Fr. William May, CSB, chaplain.
The blue blazer, first introduced in 1954, has been a staple of the SMCS school uniform for the last 70 years. Generations of young men have since donned the blazer as part of their uniform, adorned with the school crest and Latin motto “Doce Me Bonitatem et Disciplinam et Scientiam” (Teach Me Goodness, Discipline, and Knowledge).
“This ceremony was designed to welcome new students and reinforce our pride in our school uniform,” says David Lee ’94, vice principal. “We wanted a formal opportunity to officially welcome the Grade 7s by bringing together our oldest and youngest students. We aim to create a sense of mentorship and role modelling for our senior students – by helping their newest brothers into their blazers, passing on tradition, and fostering a sense of school-wide community.”
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