Letter from Head of School

A letter from Interim Head of School, Vincent W. Durnan & Board President, Katherine G. Richardson

Katherine G. Richardson

President, Board of Directors

Vincent W. Durnan

Interim Head of School, Island School

Dear Island School Community,

Here’s the report for a year that featured a return (mostly) from COVID-19. You’ll see a resumption in our capacity to gather and to take on projects that will help define our school’s future. Thank you for all you’re doing to help us turn high aspirations into a range of recent accomplishments.

You’ll see that progress in our growing enrollment, in the all-time best results of our athletic teams, in the stories of our most recent graduates’ plans for continued education, in the foundation built for a new classroom building, and in our deepened connections to families from all backgrounds on this remarkable island.

The return of our annual auction stands as another special success for the year just completed. The record-level proceeds from that event will strengthen every dimension of life at Island School, and our special gratitude extends to all involved. Pair that with a growing Voyager Fund and the beginnings of a permanent endowment to see for the needs of Island School in perpetuity, and you’ll begin to see into our next generation.

It’s my honor to serve as Interim Head for this transition year, to bring a fresh set of eyes to witness up close what you may have been watching for decades. Or maybe you’re part of the new cohort of people who are just starting to call Island School home. Whichever the case, the achievements documented in the pages of this report are no less impressive. People here have historically watched

every dollar, found ways to make do with less, and pitched in where there was a need. That’s our culture, and it’s strong. Now to see what’s next.

Don’t think for a minute that what you have to add won’t matter. I can say already that people stepping up to help has been the answer at every crucial moment on the school’s path to this point. The last couple of years have reminded us how important it is to be in school, to be there for students and teachers alike, and to find common purpose in setting goals side by side. Consider the stories produced during the challenges of pandemic times, celebrate the commitments that made our successes possible, and look for the right ways to be involved as we all move forward together.

Highlights from 2021-2022 include:

• Three individual KIF titles, and eight team titles won, including boys cross country, boys varsity volleyball, individual and mixed paddling, golf, and boys soccer. • SAT Averages: 1223 • SAT Reading: 616 • SAT Math: 607 • In total, the senior class of 2021-2022 were offered over $1,000,000 in scholarships and grant money per year from all of their schools of acceptance, including 4 nearly full ride offers and awards. • Presented senior capstone projects in person, welcoming family and friends to campus. • Held our first in-person May Day performance in two years, adn hosted a full house. • Celebrated seventeen Island School elementary school artists whose works were selected to be featured in the Young Artists of Hawaiʻi Exhibit. • Successfully hosted our highest grossing auction in Island School history, raising over $5,000,000 for tuition aid. • Began construction of our new classroom building, the David W. Pratt Hall.

With sincere thanks,

Vincent W. Durnan, Interim Head of School Katherine G. Richardson, President, Island School Board of Directors