Opening Chapel Celebrates 2026-27 School Year

Excited Middle and Upper School students returned to campus on Tuesday, Sept. 8, to begin the 2026-27 school year.

Faculty, staff, and students gathered in the Class of 1944 Chapel for Opening Chapel, where Vestry Warden Ryan Harrar '27 offered a warm welcome, and Father Tim Gavin, Hon. opened by saying, "I am glad we can gather here first as one body."

"I have an incredibly good feeling about the year ahead," Greville Haslam Head of School Dr. T.J. Locke, Hon. remarked as he began his annual opening Chapel address.

Dr. Locke shared how this year's Chapel Theme, "To whom much is given, much is required," from Luke 12:48, resonates with him. "These words mean a great deal to me. They reflect how I try to live."

As The Episcopal Academy starts its 242nd year, Dr. Locke looked back at the history of EA, which at times was quite tumultuous, as the school first opened its doors in a rented building on Philadelphia's Fourth Street on April 4, 1785, less than two years after the end of the Revolutionary War. 

"In that uncertain and fragile moment, a group led by the Reverend William White, who we know today as Bishop William White, decided to start a school. Among its first trustees were Robert Morris and Francis Hopkins, both signers of the Declaration of Independence," explained Dr. Locke.

After early periods of uncertainty, EA is thriving today on its beautiful 123-acre Newtown Square campus.

"Sometimes the person who carries an institution forward is simply the person who shows up and keeps coming back, week after week. Bishop White believed that educating children was worth his time. Showing up matters."

Dr. Locke reminded students, "We won't always be our best selves, but we can always try to move closer to those ideals. That is what is required. That is how we live into our mission." 

Dr. Locke shared that there is a true joy in being part of the EA community. "This precious education will prepare you for a good life," he said. "And we are all required to practice living a good life right now. Have a wonderful year, and go EA!"

Opening Chapel for Lower School will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 15.