As we say goodbye for summer, I want to share one last reflection with you.  I hope you will forgive me for the more personal tone of this letter, but at the end of my first year as your President and Head of School, I thought it was only fitting to do so.

 

What has become abundantly clear these past months is that we must rely on each other, on the strength of this community, more than ever before. I, personally, have relied heavily on our board of trustees, the leadership team at Country Day, and our faculty and staff. Sitting in my home office (my dining room), day after zoom-filled day, I have only been able to advance any decision, any initiative, because of their willingness to support, to plan, and to execute. Their motivation for doing so was simple: your children, our School, our community matter. 

 

I have relied on you, our parents, to support our work, to apply patience and understanding to our efforts to “re-create school” in record time, and for a period that was inconceivable back when we made the decision to go online in the middle of March. You did this in the midst of your own shock, your own sadness. You have experienced loss, and yet, you continued to work hard to support your children and the education we provided. 

 

Right before COVID19 struck, we had begun important re-branding work, in concert with our strategic planning work. The firm we engaged in, Tierney, spent a few days on campus, interviewing parents, students, teachers, and trustees. Once we went online, we paused that work, but we have been able to learn some initial takeaways. I tell you this because these take-aways are aligned with my own observations, my reflections after year one, and after what I admit has been the hardest spring of my career. 

 

What they learned from their discovery work is that community and relationships are the core strengths of Miami Country Day. That we are a school for the whole family, and that families look to us to provide belonging, connection, and mutual support. Even online this is evident. Teachers have found ways to host virtual playdates for their students, and SpartanCONNECT events have kept us together, whether showcasing student or alumni talent or pushing us adults to learn a new language or take a great photo. Our upper school team is putting on one of the most creative and celebratory graduations ever imagined so that the class of 2020 can be together again in a rousing display of Spartan unity.

 

Because preserving our community is of utmost importance, behind the scenes, we have worked hard to prepare the School for uncertain times by minimizing discretionary spending, freezing hiring in almost all cases, and freezing or cutting leadership salaries, while simultaneously redirecting funds towards costs associated with our new, challenging, context. From campus health and safety upgrades to technological expansion, our commitment remains strong to support the physical and emotional well-being of all members of our community.

 

At the same time, we looked for ways to support families who have immediately felt the impact of COVID19. And here again, is where the strength of our community has been unveiled: it was through the generosity of a family that we were able to establish the Spartan Relief Fund. In the past week, our 8th-grade class donated the funds they raised for their Beach Day celebration (now canceled) to this fund. Even among our students, sustaining a community is a driving goal. How could one not be inspired?

 

As we bid adieu to this most unusual of academic years, I want us to take a moment to reflect on and celebrate the strength of our community. Each of us has played a critical part in ensuring we remained, as always, Spartan strong: whether it was you, our parents,  who shepherded your children through these unbelievable months, or our teachers who have gone above and beyond and done miraculous work, or our board of trustees, business operations and admissions staff who have ensured we are financially on a sound footing or our students who have adjusted to a whole new way of learning. 

 

Community reveals itself in times of crisis. I am honored to be a part of this one and am eagerly anticipating our return to campus this fall.