People of Hope (Feb/March)

Midwinter greetings to you. As we approach the halfway point of this year (can you believe it?!), the holidays still ring fresh in memory. The photographs in this issue attest to the rich variety of creativity and talent we enjoyed throughout December, and we are so grateful to our students, faculty, volunteers and staff who made the campus magical for our children and indeed all of us. As I have said before, our children don’t seem to be gripped by the depression that allegedly looms outside our gates! In this season of our national anxiety, the simple happiness of children can help redirect all of us. Even rain and semester exams haven’t dampened the campus’ good spirits!

Since we returned from the winter break just over a month ago, we witnessed – and some in our community participated in – the inauguration of a new president. At CH, as many of us gathered in the Garver Theatre on January 20th (and individual classrooms) to share a singular moment in our collective history, I was so proud of our students, elementary through 12th grade, who recognized the magnitude of the occasion and responded with youthful enthusiasm yet reverence for the opportunity to engage in service. The spirit of optimism, faith, and working together for the common good serve as a mighty foundation to inspire this vocation we love. Jon Stewart poked good-natured fun at what some perceived as excesses of religious expression and patriotism in this year’s ceremonies, but I, for one, was reminded that we are, in our hearts, a hopeful and loyal people. We teach critical thinking, and therefore a kind of healthy skepticism, in our curriculum, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t nurture deep hopes for a better way if we work together in good faith. In our season of national skepticism, it’s good to remember the restorative power of love and hope.

Campus, of course, continues to hum! Steadfast volunteers are developing events to entertain you (tennis anyone?!) and a great amount of pre-planning has already gone into ensuring that the annual Bagpiper’s Ball will be the celebratory finale in May. As with all aspects of life at CH, from the day-to-day to specific projects, volunteers are the lifeblood of the independent school and play a tremendous part in defining who we are. Sincere thanks to everyone for stepping up and doing your part in whatever form that takes because you want to do the best for the community and most especially for your children. When we incarnate our passion, our confidence, our hope by getting involved, we are modeling the way forward for our children and indeed for the world.