Students from both IMS campuses, plus the entire faculty and staff, gathered on the new Turf Field first thing in the morning on April 14th. It was a clear, sunny day, and you could feel the buzz of excited anticipation. It’s rare for the entire school from Pre-K through Grade 9 to assemble in one place, so this was already special. And when the doors opened to our brand new Athletic Center, special turned into spectacular. The crowd, as they say, went wild.

With wide eyes and plenty of “oohs” and “ahhs” the students and adults streamed into the building, admiring the two basketball courts and multi-use space, the four international-size squash courts, the spectator viewing gallery, and the fitness center and training room.

After a few words from Ms. Soja, the Lower School students stood up to sing “Proud to Be a Falcon,” a song written by trustee Savannah Stevenson P’26, ’31 which was  first sung at our ribbon cutting ceremony for this building during Centennial Weekend earlier in the year.  After the song, cheers and applause, the new Athletic Center was officially open for business! 

Students inaugurated the space with games: dodgeball, squash, flag football, ultimate frisbee, and relay races.  It was a joyful celebration of this very welcome addition to our campus. 

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we now have a space that further strengthens our relationships. This space will provide boarding students with additional places to gather and play on the weekends. It will serve as a sizable indoor facility to host both campuses for all-school events. And, of course, the Athletic Center will allow our student-athletes to compete at the highest level or hone their skills in brand new sport. As Ms. Soja said, “We now have more space to gather and to celebrate this exceptional community, to build relationships and to have FUN.”

Video of the Grand Opening: