GSB Celebrates 42nd Annual Stone Soup Ceremony

Each October, Stone Soup Day (held this year on Wednesday, October 9, 2024) kicks off the Lower School’s year-long Service-Learning program, teaching students the value of collaboration and giving back.

The tradition, which began in 1982 with former Lower School Teacher Jan Hays, was inspired by the book Stone Soup by Marcia Brown. Mrs. Hays introduced the event to teach her students a powerful lesson about sharing—each student brings in a small ingredient to contribute to a communal soup. The tradition has since grown to include the entire Lower School, creating a deeply meaningful and memorable event.

The Stone Soup tradition has endured for the past 42 years because it beautifully mirrors and enhances the sense of unity at GSB,” said Lower School Assistant Director Jill Fedon P ’27. “It’s a day where the community comes together to create something far greater than the sum of its individual parts.

Students as young as three years old through Fourth Grade are invested in the process and have an active role in delivering the foods they contribute to the soup pot from donation, to preparation, to contributing to the communal pot, to enjoying the soup.

Our students are connected to and take pride in their contribution to the whole,” commented Lower and Middle School Director Kyle Armstrong P ’21, ’29, ’36. “No matter their age, they are all an important part of the community, and they all have a role and responsibility to support our community.

Stone Soup sets the tone for GSB's Service-Learning programming for the year. Beginning with the process of creating the Stone Soup, students learn that service is gratitude in action.

"Students learn that service is about giving more than things and money," said Fedon. "They learn about need in a community, and they learn about the community we are serving, broadening their understanding of the world around us. Most importantly, our students learn to share time and resources, and they learn to care about those who they are serving."

We hope you enjoy the video showcasing our 42nd Annual Stone Soup Ceremony, and that you carry the joyful spirit of giving—and a little bit of the magic—into your day.

GSB would like to thank the youngest student in our school, Hudson ’39, who dropped the stone into the pot. We would also like to thank our Eighth and Twelfth Grade Lifers (students who have been at GSB since before First Grade) for assisting in the ceremony.

Eighth Grade Lifers 

• Sydney Armstrong
• Finnleigh Marcucci
• Mimi Criscola
• Steven Vayntrub

Twelfth Grade Lifers

• Sofia Criscola 
• Katie Lutz 
• Campbell Macak 
• Ava Roslund 
• Ellie Roslund 
• Libby Scott 
• Mary Young