RETURN OF THE DRAGONS OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL REFLECTS ON DECISION-MAKING IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD. By Greg Ventre HEAD OF SCHOOL
Those who know GCS know that the heart
facilities for our return, and ensured that our
and soul of the school’s culture center
Digital Dragons program was functioning at
around our time together on our beautiful
a high level.
campus. When the COVID-19 pandemic closed us and everyone else down last March, and we nimbly and successfully shifted into Digital Dragons mode, we were not anticipating
There is a difference between managing an emergency and trying to address a crisis. The former has protocols and procedures that
that this would become our new reality, continuing through
help guide the community’s responses, whereas the latter
the spring, fall, and now, into winter. Nor did we imagine
usually has no comparative precedent. Personal decisions
that it would so alter our shared core experience.
have a sweeping and potentially disastrous impact on others. In the case of this pandemic, decisions could
Many of us have found ourselves in an environment where—
literally involve issues of life and death.
whether at home or work, for our family or our jobs—we make decisions often founded on no consistent base of
Further complicating matters, the pandemic response
information and where every option seems wrong, at least
became politicized, further polarizing the issues and
to someone. Additionally, strong opinions about what to do
dividing people. Every school life area was impacted, from
were voiced in every possible way, creating an unsettling
sustainability areas such as enrollment, ancillary programs,
and even adversarial climate. Economic difficulties, health
revenue, and staffing to athletics, the arts, and campus
and safety concerns, educational priorities, and family
maintenance.
logistics all came into play. Ultimately and unsurprisingly, many decisions were reduced Early on, we formed a group aptly named “Return of the
to some basic criteria: “Who are we?” “What do we stand
Dragons,” both a homage to the great Bruce Lee and an
for?” and “What is best for our community?” With a
optimistic hope that we would soon return to campus. The
constant and unrelenting amount of information pouring in,
group consisted of experts from the medical and health
it became difficult to determine what was useful, accurate,
and wellness sectors and school leaders in operations,
or potentially harmful. Our rather deliberate approach was
health, academics, technology, and communications, as
appreciated by many, frustrating to others.
well as parents and trustees. This group has met weekly
2
since March and has been essential in guiding us through
Now that students from every division have spent at least
these months. They formulated our COVID-19 health and
some time on campus, we face a winter of dire warnings
safety policies and protocols and kept everyone informed
during an upsurge that has seen national, state and local
and up-to-date. The group reached out to the community
numbers on the rise. So many parts of our lives have been
with health and wellness programs, prepared the campus
impacted, but education may be irreparably altered. What
SPIRIT OF THE DRAGON
