Message from the Headmaster

Message

from the Headmaster

Mitch Weiss

KEEPING SCHOOL in the midst of a pandemic is not something for which any of us were prepared. We were never required to study Pandemic Education 101 or Principles of Hybrid Teaching. And yet we learned. We learned that keeping school requires science, a gut feeling, heart, and a strong spine. It also requires acceptance that leadership is not a popularity contest.

The pandemic has made abundantly clear that it is the signal and not the noise that matters. In committing to a full year of in-person classes, we signaled the importance of real rather than imagined inclusion. As we adapted to the pandemic, we learned that we are stronger when we are together as a community than when we are individuals in our respective environments.

Acknowledging that exclusion is antithetical to the idea of an open Circle, we spared no effort to keep school open. That required not just financial resources, but also the commitment and understanding of our entire community, who rolled up their sleeves to do more, and then even more. Every student and employee lined up for weekly COVID-19 testing. To reduce density, we capped the number of students per class last year, asking faculty to teach one more class than usual. Inside the Circle, every member of our community worked together, understanding the importance of our numerous safety measures.

The pandemic underscored that students from diverse backgrounds do not have a level playing field—whether regarding access to the Internet or even a quiet place to learn remotely at home. Members of our community gave generously to support our local interventions, which included returning tuition dollars to families for terms spent off campus. We thank all of you for responding with your time, talent, and treasure in support of our efforts.

We thank you too for understanding why the open Circle we value suddenly became closed. Last year, we shuttered the gates to all visitors, including parents, alumni, and trustees, all in the name of safety. This was not always easy: parents and students found themselves adjusting to a lack of direct access to each other; alumni lamented the postponement of reunions; and trustees adapted to the challenge of meeting virtually.

We deviated from Groton constants such as handshaking, sit-down dinners, all-school chapel, Parlor, Parents Weekend, and Reunion Weekend. Thankfully, we were able to have as close to normal an in-person Prize Day as possible. When faced with the occasional complaint, we focused on our priority—keeping school and doing so safely. Fortunately, due to a fully vaccinated campus, we are gradually bringing back many traditions this year.

Early in the pandemic, I asked our archivist and recently retired faculty member Doug Brown ’57 what Endicott Peabody did during the influenza pandemic a century ago. He said: “The Rector locked the gates and kept the campus closed to outsiders. And he did not allow the students to go home for the holidays.” We often speak of the similarities of Groton today and Groton at its founding—generally referring to the school’s enduring core values. Who would have thought that a crisis handled by Rector Peabody would feel so familiar?

I cannot sufficiently thank Groton’s faculty and staff, who had to do more than ever before to keep all of us safe, as well as parents, students, trustees, and alumni, who supported the school as they learned to live with and lean into discomfort and uncertainty themselves. Cui servire est regnare.

Temba Maqubela Headmaster

Editor

Gail Friedman

Design

Irene HL Chu

Senior Editorial Advisor

Elizabeth Wray Lawrence ‘82

Form Notes Editor

Jessica M. Hart

Photographer & Editorial Assistant

Christopher Temerson

Advisory Committee

Amily Dunlap Kimberly A. Gerighty Allison S. MacBride John D. MacEachern P’10, ‘14, ’16 Kathleen M. Machan

Editorial Offices

The Schoolhouse Groton School Groton, MA 01450 978-448-7506 quarterly@groton.org

Send feedback, ideas, or letters to the editor to quarterly@groton.org.

Other School Offices

Alumni Office: 978-448-7520 Admission Office: 978-448-7510

Groton School publishes the Groton School Quarterly three times a year, in late summer, winter, and spring, and the Annual Report once a year, in the fall.