Everything Is Possible: Dr. Glomski’s Convocation Address

On the first day of the 2026-27 school year, Saint John’s Prep Principal Dr. Christine Glomski welcomed students, faculty, and staff to our annual Convocation with a message about the promise of new beginnings and the opportunities that lie ahead.

She encourages students to make the most of the year in front of them. Her remarks challenge students to be curious, take risks, and care for one another. She reminds them that while the future matters, the moments that shape us are happening right now.

Read Dr. Glomski’s full Convocation address below.

Good morning, I would like to acknowledge that Mr. McGee isn’t able to be with us today. He very much wishes he could be here to welcome all of you on the first day of school, and he had a message he wanted me to share with you this morning.

Mr. McGee and I both share love for the first day of school. There is just something about it. New classes, new teachers, new schedules, new people, and a whole year ahead of us that hasn’t happened yet. And what I especially love is that this exact group of people has never been together before. This particular collection of students, faculty, and staff will only exist once. Over the next nine months, all of us will shape what this year becomes.

For those of you who are new to Saint John’s Prep, welcome. We are so glad you are here. I hope you very quickly begin to feel that this is your school and your community. You will leave your mark on this place, and I am pretty certain it will leave a mark on you, too. And to everyone returning, welcome back. It is really, really good to have you here!

I want to do something now that has become a tradition at Convocation. Sixth graders, would you please stand? And seniors, would you stand too and turn to face our sixth graders?

Sixth graders, welcome to your very first first day at Saint John’s Prep. I know there is a lot that is new today. New teachers, new classmates, new routines, and probably a few things you haven’t quite figured out yet. That is okay. Every single person in this room has been new before. Now, take a look at our seniors. Believe it or not, that will be you sooner than you think. Learn from them. Ask them questions. Watch how they lead. And know that you belong here just as much as they do.

Seniors, welcome to your last first day at Prep. There are going to be a lot of people asking you about what comes next this year. Where are you applying? What are you going to study? What are you going to do after graduation? Those are important questions, but don’t let all of that “next” cause you to miss this. You get one senior year. Be here for it.
And take another look at those sixth graders. You were them not very long ago. They are watching you, whether you realize it or not. Teach them. Include them. Lead them well. Okay, you can all sit down.

Beginnings are exciting, but they can also be a little uncomfortable. A new year asks something of us. It asks us to try things we haven’t tried before, meet people we don’t know yet, take some risks, make some mistakes, and maybe discover something about ourselves that we didn’t know before.

That is part of what makes the beginning of a school year so great. We don’t know yet exactly what this year will hold. There will be successes. There will absolutely be some hard days. There will be moments when you surprise yourself. You may discover something you love, find a friend you didn’t expect, take a class that changes the way you think, or do something you didn’t believe you could do.

Right now, all of that is still ahead of us.

So as we begin this year, I want to challenge all of us to be open to it. Be curious. Try something new. Be bold! Work hard. Pay attention to the people around you. Ask for help when you need it, and offer help when someone else does. Take care of this community and take care of one another. Most of all, don’t be so focused on where you are going that you miss where you are. Today is a beginning. We have a whole school year in front of us, and we get to decide together what we will do with it.

It’s the first day of school.

And right now, everything is possible.

Have a wonderful year, everyone.