More than a year into the pandemic, we’ve begun the process of trying to articulate what we have learned. We’ve changed everything about school life in the last year, from the way we organize classrooms and schedules to the ways we participate in Chapel. In early 2020, as we worried about the negative effects of screen time and screen life on adolescent mental health, we suddenly became completely dependent upon our screens, a dependency that has abated only somewhat in the ensuing months.

As we contemplated global citizenship, travel ceased; as we contemplated economic growth, millions lost their jobs; as we emphasized civic engagement, we stayed “safer at home” and “locked down.” With the arrival of masks and (now) vaccines, powerfully emotional responses confused what we all want to believe should be a unified, “in-service-to-the-common-good” response. We have learned a lot about ourselves and each other, and as more and more of us are “fully vaccinated,” we are bending our minds yet again around what that might mean, what “normal” might look like, and when the chaos might subside.

Here on the grounds, we’re engaged in “silver linings” work. First and foremost, we have learned that we are braver than we thought and stronger than we seemed. Our Sixth Form identified “resilience” as its theme for this year, and the courage cycle has been inspirational and contagious – from the courage of our youngest, newest students to “bubble” for weeks, to the courage of older colleagues with health-compromised spouses who teach in person every day, to the courage of families who have sent us their children from all over the world.

We have shown up and leaned in, and we’ve had simple goals for the year, particularly this spring; to deliver the SPS experience, safe and healthy and in-person for our students, and to get the Form of 2021, to their on-the-grounds graduation on May 23. As I write this letter, the adults on campus are scheduled to receive their second vaccine shots as a school “pod” next week, and our students ages 16 and up will also form a vaccination “pod” and just barely be eligible for both shots prior to their departure in mid-May. While inevitably we are looking and planning beyond mid-May, it’s a time for focus, self-discipline, and determination as we finish this school year for our students.

To say that we are grateful for the many ways alumni support the work of the School, especially in this year, is a huge understatement. So many of you are doing the work that inspires us here every day. At a time when anxiety, fear, and emotion are running high, so many of you are serving the world in ways that make hope and optimism possible, whether on the national or international scale or within your neighborhood or apartment building.

St. Paul’s School prides itself on a tradition of service to others, interpreted across the myriad ways alumni engage the world. The day-to-day here involves laying foundations, and your work shows us that foundations matter. While we work on the ways young people approach citizenship, your service shows us what leadership looks like. The pandemic has caused extraordinary suffering and brought much to the surface, and it has shown us that connection, collaboration, and contribution make the difference for people in all settings and situations. That “silver linings” understanding is something St. Paul’s School alumni know for certain, and we – the current school – are watching, grateful for and inspired by your energy, optimism, and encouragement.

Kathleen C. Giles