Appreciation and Gratitude

As the school year winds down and I look back at the past 11 months, I am filled with appreciation and gratitude. Thanks to the tremendous work of so many, this year has wildly exceeded our expectations. I am humbled by the amount of time and effort that it has required of faculty and staff, parents and students to have such a successful school year amidst the many challenges posed by COVID-19. 

Before looking back, however, I want to look ahead and express gratitude for the robust enrollment picture that is in place for the 2021-22 school year. Attrition is lower than it has been in years and applications are trending ahead of where they have been in the past. We expect to open the 2021-22 school year with an increase in the number of Chargers attending Shorecrest. Credit goes to the Admissions Office staff and to our faculty, whose hard work and commitment is reflected by the number of families who choose our school.  

Most teachers choose this profession because they care about students and want to make a difference in the lives of children. This desire to positively impact and connect with Shorecrest students is what has motivated our faculty and staff throughout this COVID year. And it’s been hard to do, as every step along the way has come with an increased workload. It is no exaggeration to say that this year, teachers have devoted almost twice the normal time to preparing for their classes. Our staff has dedicated countless additional hours to ensuring that Shorecrest is a safe and healthy place for students. So much of this work is done behind the scenes. Yet every day, our Chargers arrive ready to learn and teachers’ faces brighten as their students walk in the door or log onto Webex for class. 

For this spirit of commitment to our students throughout hardship, I extend incredible appreciation and gratitude to our faculty and staff. 

When families join the Shorecrest community, they are entrusting the School with the most precious of gifts: their children. The desire to protect and ensure the safety of one’s children is a basic human instinct. The aspiration is for each child to thrive at school. A huge challenge of this year has been the inability to welcome parents into classrooms and onto campus, so that they can see for themselves the beauty of the learning environment and how their children are thriving in it. I am grateful for the trust of our Shorecrest families during this challenging year, when we have not been able to be physically together. 

As we return to on-campus events, it has been exhilarating to feel the in-person presence of our families. This morning’s well-attended Farewell Coffee, last night’s amazing Middle School play Stone Soup, and last week’s Alpha-on-the-Go event (where it was pure joy to watch families cheering on their children) felt like the resurgence of a sense of community. 

I am thankful for the support from families, who recognize that our actions are driven by our mission, and that our purpose is to support, nurture and inspire our students to achieve their highest potential.   

A school would be nothing without its students, and I am grateful for every single Charger. I appreciate how hard our students have been trying throughout this unusual school year. It’s important to acknowledge how stressful life can be for children. Growing up is a tricky process – children navigate all sorts of challenges; some we are aware of, some of them are things which we never had to deal with. Shorecrest students teach us every day how to live in the present moment, what true friendship looks like, and how to capture the joy of learning. 

I am grateful for the lessons of resilience that I have learned from Shorecrest students this year. 

With much appreciation, 

Nancy