From the Principal hat a year this has been! I am so proud of our students and staff for showing so much resilience as we worked together to overcome unprecedented challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Teacher creativity and innovation reached new levels; student independence soared. As you read on, you will learn about members of our WMA community who stepped up in light of the pandemic, providing PPE, healthcare services or feeding the hungry. Despite the difficulties we continue to face, Waldron Mercy has grown in strength and faith and has proven the importance of a values based, Catholic Mercy education. Of course, there is always more we can do. This year a group of dedicated staff, parents, alumni, trustees, and others from the local Mercy community are developing a new Strategic Plan for Waldron Mercy Academy under the guidance of our consultant, Partners In Mission. The Strategic Plan will act as the compass for WMA’s future direction and leadership, so areas such as our Catholic Mercy identity, mission, curriculum, facilities, finance, student life, etc. will be addressed during this process. You’ll hear more about this during the school year. Speaking of our Catholic Mercy mission, I assure you that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) continue to be at the forefront of our minds. Waldron has an excellent Board of Trustees DEI committee dedicated to making sure WMA is always moving forward in its mission to be “rooted in the gospel values of Mercy and justice.” As a Mercy school, this summer we grieved and prayed for all those in the African American community whose lives have been lost and whose families have been affected by violence rooted
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in racism. Waldron is committed to the necessary work of eliminating racism by specifically teaching and discussing with our students and each other the Critical Concerns of Anti-Racism and Non-Violence established by the Sisters of Mercy. We have been and continue to be committed to hiring qualified people who reflect the diversity of our school, with an emphasis on those who are Black or Brown. We are listening and we are learning. You might want to join us in our One Book, One School choice this year: White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo. In recognizing the importance of educating ourselves in order to become better people and allies, our staff will be led in discussion of this important topic in August and will continue professional development throughout the year. Some of the additional actions WMA is taking, including curriculum updates, are described in more detail in this issue. Others, such as an overhaul of our history curriculum, will be a year-long process. I encourage you to use your connections to help WMA become a better, more inclusive community; if you know teachers who would consider working at WMA, or speakers who will help us further educate ourselves about antiracism and inclusivity, please contact me at principal@waldronmercy.org. As I close, I invite you to join us at 6:30 each night to pray for all those affected by the COVID pandemic, those who are sick or who have died, families that struggle either with fear or loss of loved ones or jobs, and those who work in large group settings, including our health care workers and, in September, our teachers.
