A Letter from the Head of School

Dear Congressional Community,

This Report of Giving highlights our community’s remarkable support and commitment to our school, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

The unprecedented challenges of a pandemic notwithstanding, our community has shown that our collective power can have a resounding impact.

For the first few months of the 2019-2020 school year our campus was its typical hive of activity with our busy calendar of community events and activities supported by a strong volunteer base. In March, I was impressed with the quick transition of our students, parents, and our faculty, to Congressional School Online as we adapted to a new virtual world with students and teachers communicating and working together on multiple digital platforms. Our teachers were ready every day to engage their students and keep them active and learning.

While remote learning was underway, our COVID-19 Task Force immediately went to work developing a robust and detailed reopening plan for our physical campus, beginning with the Infants and Toddlers on June 1, followed by a small cohort of Congressional Campers on July 6, and our whole school community after a phasedin return beginning on September 2. This effort required meticulous planning and everyone in our community played a role in making it happen. The Board of Trustees showed decisive leadership to our faculty, staff, and students with its decision to accept a Paycheck Protection Program Loan (PPP), and the commitment of our teachers and staff to expertly implement our reopening plan is a testament to their dedication to the students they serve.

We are immensely grateful to the Congressional School community for your financial support

during such a tumultuous time. Investments in our program and plant totaled $605,000 and generated by The Congressional Fund, the Gala, Class Gift and Restricted gifts.

Our Run with the Colts campaign yielded $291,000 from 368 donors and included two challenges. The $30,000 Ramieka Family '86 GP' 25 '27 challenge spurred giving on our 4th annual Give Day and a generous alumnus energized our end of year giving with a challenge of $20,000. Thank you for prioritizing The Congressional Fund again this year as it directly supports the day to day operations of the school.

The Red Carpet Gala required a quick pivot last spring and embraced a new funding goal and theme - Congressional Cares. Our community stepped up when it was needed most. Anchored by the $35,000 Budwick Family P '20 challenge,

we raised nearly $274,000 for three immediate priorities: to provide additional aid to families affected by COVID-19, to fund faculty and technology enhancements, and to help with unanticipated expenses as a consequence of the pandemic.

I conclude this letter with words of optimism and a strong sense of gratitude. The foundation of Congressional School’s success is our community and in this publication we celebrate those who contributed gifts of time and treasure. We have much to be proud of as a school and a great deal to look forward to ahead. Thank you for your generous and loyal support of Congressional School.

Very Sincerely,

Edwin P. Gordon, Ph.D. Head of School