Traditions at Peddie
Every school has traditions. When a school’s been around for over 150 years, those traditions become the foundation for enduring memories and powerful connections. Some of these traditions have been with our school since the very beginning. Some are fresh and new. Each year, these traditions evolve to fit the students and the community who keep them alive. Because when you carry on a tradition, you become a part of something bigger than yourself, and you also leave your unique mark on Peddie.
Commencement 2024
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Blue & Gold Games
This is how we say hello! After a long summer apart, the Peddie community reunites with a day of fun and games. We face off in Water War, archery, cooking competitions, the Battle of the Bands and more! Blue & Gold Games are a brand new Peddie tradition, but they’re already an instant classic. Will you be Team Blue or Team Gold?
Learn more about Life at PeddieConvocation
On the morning of the first day of classes, we get dressed up, gather on the lawn in front of Ayer Memorial Chapel and enjoy a beautiful start to the school year. Student musicians perform, prizes are given to outstanding students and our student body co-presidents and Head of School welcome us all to another incredible year at Peddie!
Learn more about academics at Peddie
Peddie-Blair Day
There’s nothing like a good rivalry to bring everybody together. Our rivalry with Blair Academy isn’t just good: it’s great. Historically great. The Peddie-Blair football rivalry began in 1903. Today, we compete in football, soccer, tennis, cross country and field hockey for possession of the Potter-Kelley Cup. Whether you’re crushing it on the field or cheering from the sidelines, you’re in for an unforgettable day.
Learn about the Peddie-Blair RivalryVespers
A night that’s anything but silent. In our candle-lit chapel, we ring in the season with a multifaith winter celebration of music, song and the holidays that bring us together on the darkest nights of the year. Vespers is how our community enjoys togetherness one last time before parting ways for winter break.
Learn about Music at Peddie
Declamation
When a student steps onstage for the annual Declamation Speaking Contest, they’re participating in over 150 years of school history. Student speakers perform monologues for an audience of their peers and a panel of judges, provoking laughter, tears and awe.
Learn more about theater at PeddieFounders Day Chapel
Throughout the year, Ayer Memorial Chapel is a space for community members to express themselves through music and personal stories. On Founders Day, we open our chapel to a community member with a deep connection to Peddie’s history, an appreciation for our present and a vision for our future.
Learn more about our Chapel Program
Battle of the Heads
As the end of the year draws closer, the Battle of the Heads is an opportunity to cut loose. Each student is assigned to one of four teams, named for past Heads of School – Green, DeGray, Potter and Seltzer – for an all-out war. With new challenges each year – pie-eating contests, volleyball, hide and seek, capture the flag and more – anyone can turn the tide for their team in the Battle of the Heads.
Learn more about Athletics at PeddieCommencement
All great things must come to an end, and a year at Peddie is no exception. We use our final gathering as a community to celebrate our graduating seniors. Families and friends fill our campus. Prizes are given for astounding acts of leadership and academic excellence. Seniors bid a fond farewell to their high school years and welcome the next chapter of their lives as Peddie alumni.
Meet Our Alumni