USM Kicks Off 2024–25 School Year

University School of Milwaukee opened its doors for the 2024–25 school year with its annual opening ceremony on the first day of school, Monday, Aug. 26. This year, USM is excited to welcome more than 1,130 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade.

USM seniors kicked off the event by walking into and around the front circle with kindergarten students before Board of Trustees President Karin Werner and Head of School Steve Hancock addressed the ceremony attendees.

This year’s senior class prefects—Carly Buck, Wyatt Cox, Jorge Guifarro, Aubrey Jayne, Kiran Siddalingaiah, and Beckett Stratton—followed with speeches on this year’s Common Trust value, respect. The ceremony concluded with the school’s longest-tenured faculty member, Upper School Math Teacher Fred Lange, ringing the ceremonial first bell of the 2024–25 school year.

Minutes later, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was also held at the foot of the 8th grade stairs as the “seniors” of the Middle School formally started their school year. As part of the event, Steve Farwig ’75 spoke with 8th grade students about the history of the 8th grade stairs, because the Class of 1975 was the first 8th grade class to use the stairs exclusively.

The Parents’ Association welcomed new and returning parents to school with a coffee reception in the front circle before and after the opening ceremony.

Thank you to all of the USM community members who attended this year’s events.