FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL Every edition of Spirit of the Dragon highlights the amazing work of our faculty, staff, and students, but this one is special in that it covers a number of individuals whose contributions might occasionally “fly under the radar.” Among other articles, there is a great piece on Mandarin teacher, Hong Ding; the quiet influence of Paulette Ward, Diane Collins, and Lucy Ventura in the Lower School; and the supportive, understated leadership of Brita Stewart in the Middle School. Other stories cover the involvements of Upper School students Daniyel Coy and Aicha Keita, the re-emergence
MATT WALSH
of performing arts this year, the efforts of Upper School Science teacher, Krystal Rolon, to bring back views of the night sky, and much, much more. The wonderful thing about GCS is that any number of our students, faculty, and staff could have been highlighted in an edition dedicated to “unsung heroes.” It occurred to me, in fact, that this term could be used to describe the entire GCS community as we have adapted to the challenges of the COVID-19 era with fortitude, resilience, and creativity. Our faculty and staff, for example, have been amazing in stepping up to cover classes and other duties for one another when someone has been out for a COVID-related absence. What has always been a hallmark of the GCS faculty and staff culture has never been more on display or more deeply felt and appreciated than it has been over the past couple of years. Our nurses (Amy Ro, Kaitlin Woodford, and Lorie St. Cyr) continue to serve GCS in ways that couldn’t have been imagined two years ago. From my perspective, every Head of School relies on the unquantifiable hard work of a team of administrators, and I am grateful for the leadership of our division heads (Hilary McCarthy, Kevin Boland, and Brandon Neblett) and for the thoughtful work that is being done in our finance, admissions, development, athletics, technology, and marketing offices. Also falling square into the unsung heroes category is GCS’s Board of Trustees. Asking for nothing in return, our Trustees, led by Brad Smith, give generously of their time, talent, and expertise to support the School in the near term while also thinking constantly about how to strengthen GCS long into the future. Because it is intergenerational and legacy-oriented, there is really no limit to the cascading ripple effects of the work of our Trustees. Ultimately, what we take away from this edition of Spirit of the Dragon is that every member of this community contributes to the quality of the GCS experience, in ways large and small, and that influence and impact do not need to be tied to titles or formal position. Indeed, those with the largest impact are often those who concentrate on building meaningful relationships with others and on serving something larger than themselves.
WINTER 2022
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