Report
The Ridge
September 2014
Challenging ourselves to build community Welcome to the 2014 – 2015 school year! If you think the years go by quickly, stop for a moment and
shape for the second half of this decade, I’d like for each of us to
realize that when this current school year ends, we will be
take the Forest Ridge Challenge. Let’s challenge ourselves to
halfway through another decade of our lives. And you thought
build community each week:
summer went by quickly! This was the summer of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and social media exploded with images and clips of people taking the challenge and nominating others to do the same. As a former dean of students at an all-boys day and boarding school, I was challenged by a former student, now in his 40s, who obviously had a score to settle with me. I, in turn, called out a few people to step up, take the cold plunge, and pass the challenge along to others. The ALS Challenge took an organization that raised a relatively modest $2.7 million during a month last summer to one that brought in over $94.3 million in that same time period (July 29 to August 26) this summer. And look at all the fun people had in the process! As we continue to plan for the future of Forest Ridge, we are blessed with a mission that transforms the lives of girls into women as global leaders. But it doesn’t just happen—it takes an enormous amount of intentional work from students, parents, faculty, staff, administration, alumnae and friends within our community. So to keep this enterprise in the best possible
• one person at a time
• one possibility at a time
• one promise at a time.
Reach out each week to someone you don’t know well and have a conversation; do something you’ve always wanted to do and have made a thousand excuses to avoid doing; and keep your word to one other person by following through on a commitment, no matter how small. Commit to this, and just imagine the community our girls will enjoy — and we will enjoy too! And, if you ask me, this is worth more than $94 million. Have a wonderful year. I look forward to seeing you along the way to share a laugh, a story or a conversation. All the best, Mark Pierotti Head of School