Here on the grounds, it is a frosty April morning as our students arrive for class. Down jackets paired with shorts and flip-flops are much in evidence — a testament to the kids’ resilience, defiance, optimism, and perhaps just plain insistence that spring needs to arrive NOW. As I watch the students stream into Schoolhouse, I just wish I could muster that kind of indifference to the weather and ditch the winter gear for more hopeful attire.
We continue to maintain our COVID-19 bubble as we go about the work of learning and growing and playing. Against the backdrop of the Chauvin trial verdict, we will hold a service of lamentation, repentance, and reconciliation tonight, led by our student leaders and chaplains. This week, the second round of vaccinations is underway for our adults, and our students age 16 and older — no matter their state or country of origin — will receive their first vaccine dose next week. We have timed their second dose for the day before underformers leave for the summer. Given the timing and the overwhelming desire for all of our age-eligible students to leave SPS fully vaccinated, we made the decision to cancel spring exams to ensure we are not managing vaccine side effects along with the usual exam side effects (stress, fatigue, anxiety). While that news provoked a happy gasp from most students, even that response was muted against the increasing presence of COVID variants and the prospect of another “wave.”
The work of learning and growing here continues with the same kind of resilience, defiance, and optimism that I’m seeing in our students’ attire today — and yes, for these reasons, we are all “showing up and leaning in”— finding joy in the classes, performances, games, and moments of connection. If there is anything we have learned over the past year, it is that human connection is the sustenance of this school.
What is next? Graduation will be modified but will take place in person. Anniversary will be virtual, but it will be grounded in tradition and emphasize personal connection. We continue in our aggressive planning mode, hoping soon to see a vaccine approved for our younger students. We are trying to imagine a “new normal” and what we will need to know and do to optimize our students’ experiences, seeking to provide concrete assurances about what the coming months will hold. Throughout our community, we all find ourselves in exactly this place. Maybe that resilience, defiance, optimism, and perhaps just plain insistence are part of the recipe for moving forward — with commitment to the well-being of others as a means to assuage our personal uncertainties, and with the shared desire to be part of the solution our inspiration for making every day matter.
Kathy Giles
Rector
School News
Virtual Admission Season Results The efforts of the SPS community were reflected in the final yield of new students for the 2021-22 academic year. READ MORE
LinC Day Discussions Continue The April 14 LinC Day built upon community discussions about race and racism begun during the previous LinC Day in February. The focus this month was on micro-, macro-, and meso-level racism. READ MORE
Honoring the Life and Loss of Martin Luther King, Jr. The School's chaplaincy dedicated space during two Chapel events to mark the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination. READ MORE
Alumni/ae Honored at Annual Meeting
More than 100 SPS alumni/ae joined together on Zoom to conduct business, hear from Rector Kathy Giles, and celebrate three Alumni Association Award recipients. READ MORE
Upcoming Events
SPS Sparks Days of Service Thursday, May 6, through Sunday, May 9 Alumni/ae, parents, and friends are encouraged to come together in service by supporting your local food banks and meeting an area of great global need. Stay tuned for more information about how you can participate.
SPS XIX Society Presents: How to Decide with Annie Duke '83 Tuesday, May 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET | Register Here The St. Paul's School XIX Society invites all alumnae to join a conversation with decision strategist, former poker champion, business consultant, and best-selling author Annie Duke ’83, moderated by Liz Robbins ’79, P’17.
Virtual Anniversary 2021 Forms ending in 1 and 6, join us on June 4-5 for our Virtual Anniversary Weekend! Connect with formmates from around the world during live chats, breakout sessions, and individual form gatherings, while enjoying Anniversary traditions like the Alumni/ae Chapel Service, Alumni/ae Parade, and boat races. Visit sps.edu/anniversary for all the latest information. If you're in an anniversary year, be sure to nominate your next form director.
In case you missed any of our recent alumni webinars, you can find recordings of them on the SPS alumni homepage.
A Living Classroom
As we recognize the 51st anniversary of Earth Day this week and reaffirm the need to care for our natural world, we invite you to enjoy the beauty of Millville's 2,000 acres.
