Head of School Letter: A Place to Gather
Source/Author: Nancy L. Spencer, Head of School
May 10, 2024
At this time of year I find myself reflecting on the many ways we at Shorecrest gather for shared school and community events.
Priya Parker, author of "The Art of Gathering," rightly wrote, “The most powerful gatherings begin with purpose.” Shorecrest has certainly met this mark this year.
From the Shore to Shorecrest 5K (now an annual event!) to our athletics and robotics competitions; from visual and performing arts displays to project shares; from Homecoming to the Shorecrest Gala; from Movie Night to the SCA Soiree - our community has gathered with the purpose of upholding and enhancing our Mission.
Gathering in the month of May is a flurry of milestone events and community celebrations. Already this month I've attended an alumni gathering in NYC, enjoyed the first grade show, and celebrated college decisions with our seniors. Wednesday evening I attended a lovely SCA Volunteer Thank-You Social on the Gaffney Green, then dashed off to see the final inning of Chargers Baseball in the regional quarterfinal. Thursday morning I joined teachers, coaches and families for JK on the Run, which marks the final event to occur on Haskell Field before we begin our renovation of the stadium this summer!
Coming for fall 2024 is a refresh and reimagining of the home of Haskell Field and Track - a project we are calling Centennial Stadium, which will provide a place for gathering for years to come. Starting next week and over the summer, Marcus Holmes, Director of Facilities, will oversee construction work to ensure that Centennial Stadium is open and ready for use at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
Centennial Stadium fully reimagines our athletics complex, which will serve as a versatile sports facility where we can host community events and provide a new, flexible venue for our physical education program.
The focal point within this project is the replacement of the current football field with a top-of-the-line, multi-sport turf field, which will accommodate numerous sports including football, soccer, track & field, and - for the first time - girls and boys lacrosse. Circling the turf field will be a new, rubberized track crowned by new LED lighting and a video scoreboard.
Elevating this part of Shorecrest's campus enables us to have a location for the entire school community to come together for all-school events. It would not be possible without our giving community, who partner with Director of Advancement Michael Gillis and myself to bring projects with purpose to life for the benefit of our students and community.
With just a few weeks left in the year, May reminds me of where we began the year and how we will finish strong - always with purpose and our Mission to guide us.
All the best,
Nancy
