Whether you will be returning to campus after this last year's celebration, or if next June is your very first reunion, we encourage you to come home to Cushing! Registration for Alumni Weekend begins each year in early February.
Register For Alumni Weekend! June 7-9, 2024
Alumni Weekend at Cushing is an experience you don’t want to miss! Our annual celebration is about generations of Penguins reconnecting with friends, reminiscing on the times they spent together, and creating new memories.
While this year we are especially celebrating reunion class years ending in 4 and 9, all alumni are encouraged to attend!
Whether your last visit to Ashburnham was five, ten, or fifty years ago... you always have a home at Cushing Academy! What are you waiting for? Click below to register today!
Will Day ’89 is a Boulder, Colorado-based painter known for his large-scale compositions of colorful shapes and energetic marks. Meet Will and experience his work at our art show and reception at the Emily Fisher Landau Center for the Visual Arts on Friday, June 7.
Will was profiled in the Fall 2014 edition of Cushing Todayand was Cushing's 2016 commencement speaker. He will be celebrating his 35th reunion this summer.
2024 Alumni Weekend Registrations
The following alumni are registered for this year's Alumni Weekend:
[Stay tuned... as we confirm alumni, faculty, and friends of Cushing, we'll post them here. Updated as of 3/14)
7:00 - 8:00 am — Continental Breakfast (Main Building)
8:00 - 10:00 — Full Breakfast(Fisher-Watkins Dining Commons)
8:00 am - 5:00 pm — Registration (Main Building)
8:30 am - 12:30 pm — Mini-Mountain Day(Shevenell Terrace) Casual hike up Mt. Watatic with Dean of Faculty, Dave Stone (Hike takes approx. 3 hours)
7:00 - 10:00 am — Open Gym (Watkins Fieldhouse) Take advantage of Cushing’s state-of-the-art Fitness Center, Strength and Conditioning Room, and Gymnasium, yoga class 9:00 am
9:00 am - 10:30 am — Gold Key Breakfast (Student Center) Fiftieth Reunion induction, Class of 1974 All gold key classes invited
10:00 am, 11:00 am + 2:00 pm — Campus Tours(Main Building) Tour campus with a recent young alum tour guide to see all that's recently updated and new
11:00 am — Alumni Memorial Service(Cowell Chapel)
12:00 - 2:00 pm — Big Tent Barbecue Lunch(Drew Common)
2:15-3:00 pm-— Alumni of Color Reception (Lowe Hall Common Room)Meet and greet with Eddie Buggie, Director of Inclusion and Community Life
2:30 - 4:30 pm — Open Skate Lace them up and take in an open skate at beautiful Iorio Arena
2:30-4:00 pm—Extreme Baseball League (XBL) 20th Anniversary Game, Quimby Field
3:00 - 4:00 pm—The Cushing Conversation(Lowe Hall Common Room) State of the Academy - hosted by Head of School Dr. Randy Bertin P’21, ’22, ’24, ’25
6:00 - 10:30 pm — Grand Reunion Celebration(Drew Common)
6:00 - 7:00pm— Drinks and Appetizers (Dining Commons Patio)
7:00 - 10:00 pm— Dinner and Dancing (Drew Common)
10:30 pm - Midnight — Fire pit Keep the party going!
A limited number of rooms have been set aside at a local hotel at a reduced rate thanks to owner Nicole Xarras Moorshead '89 for those wishing to stay off-campus. Please contact the Colonial Hotel directly and reference Cushing Alumni Weekend.
Dormitory Accommodations
Your bed will have linens, a light blanket, a towel, a pillow--your room a desk lamp, and a trash can. You might consider a secondary blanket, pillow, and a fan. A limited supply of toiletries is available in our bookstore so please plan accordingly.
Dietary Concerns
If you did not indicate any dietary concerns or restrictions on your reservation form, are unsure if you did so, or would like to have a more detailed conversation with our catering staff, please contact Deonne Johnson in the Advancement Office at (978) 827-7400.
Childcare
You’re welcome to bring your children to Alumni Weekend. If you would like childcare for Friday and/or Saturday nights, we can help find someone to help. Children must be 3 years of age and toilet trained. This option must be requested in advance.
Clothing
You must remember fondly that our campus is hilly and we recommend comfortable shoes to wear throughout the day. Many attendees dress up for Saturday evening’s Grand Celebration reception and dinner, and of course for dancing!
Mobility Issues
If you anticipate any difficulties this weekend that require extra support please email (978) 827-7400 or email [email protected].
Parking
Parking will be allowed on one side of the campus with the other clearly marked as closed off to parking for safety. Parking is available at the upper and lower rink lots, and the lower lots on Pleasant Street.
Programming
Locations of all Alumni Weekend events will be provided at Registration, featured on signage at the main building, dining commons lobby, and in dormitories. You can pick and choose events at your leisure but please let us know in advance if you are joining us for Saturday morning’s “Mini-Mountain Day.” Please note that the Honor Roll Reception is an invitation-only event and that the Gold Key breakfast is for class years 1974 and earlier.
Transportation
You will notice a number of friendly staff members on golf carts eager to provide you with a lift. If you are staying at the Colonial Hotel in Gardner we are running a shuttle back and forth but only at select times, with information posted at the registration table and at the Colonial Hotel front desk. Please note: Uber and taxi cab services are very scarce in the area. A number of private car and limousine companies service the area and private transportation can be arranged with them. For more information please contact the Office of Advancement at (978) 827-7400. Cushing is offering a bus ride to South Station in Boston on Sunday morning at 10:30 am. You must register in advance and there is a $20 fee for this service.
Please know that the Office of Advancement is here for you with any questions or concerns. Our phone number is (978) 827-7400 or [email protected]
Need a Ride to Boston on Sunday?
We will run a shuttle to South Station on Sunday, leaving campus at 10:30 am. Please note: you must register for the bus in advance. The bus must leave promptly ($20 per person in addition to the Reunion Weekend fee). For more information, please call the Advancement Office at (978) 827-7400
Alumni Weekend 2023 Recap
We had a tremendous 2023 Alumni Weekend! Check out our recap slideshow below and view our 2023 Reunion Flickr album for more photos.
Join Us on Social Media!
If you haven't joined our Cushing network on social media, we'd love to connect! Our alumni network is on multiple platforms: