October 28, 2020
Senior Parents:
In keeping with last week's homecoming themeā¦ it appears we have all SURVIVED our first two months of classes, and everyone is generally settling into the rhythm of a pandemic school year. We were fortunate enough to offer the ACT and SAT here on campus. I proctored the SAT and the seniors were so grateful for the opportunity. Off-campus lunch has been in effect for two weeks now and going well. The students seem to be following the new procedures and enjoying lots of Chik-Fil-A and Torchy's! :) I have noticed so many positives that have come about this year. Advisories are closer and students having to be in one place for study hall has brought about new friendships and some needed downtime. I watch the seniors play UNO, cornhole, or just kick around the soccer ball, always smiling (I can see it in their eyes). I am so grateful for this class, for the most part they have been following the new on campus rules and are setting a good example.
Please remind your student that this semester is really important and they need to hang in there and finish strong. We are only a few weeks away from exams and I know many applications are due next week. I have been hearing a lot of excited chatter about applications and it sounds like the process is going well.
My peer, friend, and far better writer than I, Phil Bryan included the following in his parent letter. I share it with you verbatim because it is so important:
"Finally, permit me a word about our health and safety protocols on campus this year. While there is undoubtedly a spectrum of convictions regarding how far each person should go to "play it safe" during the pandemic, I believe there is a deeper issue at hand. Our theme last year as we added the lower school to our campus was that we are truly "one community"—a wonderful aspiration finally realized. But I would love for all of us to embrace that same ethos in our approach to healthy practices on campus this year. We might not all personally hold the exact same positions on masks, hand washing, and social distance, but we do have in common that we belong to the ESD community. Part of our responsibility to this community is to embrace this year's theme that Mr. Laba shared during orientation: It's not about me. "
Thanks for sharing your children with us. Stay safe.
Caryn Rossiter
Senior Class Dean
Follow the class on Instagram: @esdseniors