On Friday, March 12, more than 400 teachers and staff from Shady Side Academy and nine other area schools, including Fanny Edel Falk Laboratory School, The Ellis School, The Neighborhood Academy, Sewickley Academy, Winchester Thurston School, Community Day School, St. Edmund's Academy, Fox Chapel Area School District and North Allegheny School District, received their first dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine from Rite Aid pharmacists at a clinic held on the Senior School campus in Curry Gymnasium.

Shady Side canceled PK-12 classes for the day to enable more than 200 SSA employees across four campuses to receive the vaccine and enjoy a well-deserved long weekend. The elation on campus was palpable as some faculty and staff shouted "Happy vaccine day!" or "We did it!" while others shed tears of joy and appreciation. As SSA President Bart Griffith '93 succinctly put it, "What a difference a day makes."

A second clinic will be held at SSA on April 10 to administer the second dose to all who attended the March 12 clinic.

Thank you to the SSA employees who helped to make these on-campus clinics a reality, and to Rite Aid for partnering with SSA to keep our educators healthy and safe!

View a photo slideshow:

Watch the WSSA-TV student-produced video of the clinic: