April 8, 2020 Dear Shady Side Families, Recently I have found myself reflecting on the final weeks of my senior year at Shady Side. More than anything else, I remember the springtime rituals that helped mark my transition to college and create ties of kinship with my classmates. These rituals also imbued me with important wisdom about the adolescent I had been and the adult I was quickly becoming. Quite symbolically, I graduated from Shady Side on my 18th birthday. Our current seniors are coming to terms with the stark realization that the final chapters of their high school experience are looking less ceremonial than they envisioned, whether or not we return to campus in May. And so while there are many people at Shady Side deserving of our concern at the moment, the Class of 2020 warrants unique attention and care. I'm so impressed by how our senior class is displaying a remarkably positive attitude and an uplifting capacity to stay connected and make the best of it. But I know their sense of loss is real and that they are managing feelings of hurt, confusion, frustration, powerlessness – and perhaps some measure of regret. One senior recently shared with me that he longed to connect more authentically with classmates whom he had not gotten to know that well, adding that he "just assumed we'd have more time." We want our seniors to realize we understand how challenging things are for them at the moment and that we are here to provide comfort, compassion, and a listening ear. To this end, Senior School Head Sophie Lau and I have invited seniors to join us tomorrow afternoon for our first Class of 2020 Virtual Town Hall. We will dedicate this time to hearing their concerns and observations and to collaboratively brainstorming ways to keep them feeling connected to each other. Our aim is to ensure that, even under these extraordinary circumstances, they experience important rites of passage and a sense of ceremony in the coming weeks, in whatever form that may take. I encourage all of you to reach out to a senior you know – or maybe even one you have never met – to let them know they are in your thoughts. And perhaps to tell them that, while they were born in the uncertain aftermath of 9/11 and now enter adulthood during similarly disquieting times, this shared history makes them strong, resilient, and uniquely poised to change the world. To our Jewish families preparing to observe the first night of Passover, I wish you all chag sameach and best wishes for a joyous celebration. Glory to Shady Side and the Class of 2020! Sincerely, Bart Griffith '93 President
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