From the Head of School

"I am proud to have been your leader during this time of technological and social change."

NATHAN WASHER // HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Wichita Collegiate School Family, Welcome to our Fall 2020 Connection Magazine. I must say that it has been an honor to serve this community during the past academic year, my first as a member of the Wichita Collegiate family. It is very apparent to me that this is a special environment; with students, parents, alumni, faculty & staff, and leaders who are excited to prove themselves worthy. In the classroom, on Zoom sessions, on the playground, in the theatre, or on the basketball court, this is a community that strives for excellence. Simply, Wichita Collegiate School can be a place where #SpartansThrive. And it must be. A brief moment of reflection on what the past year has brought for our school. We navigated through what has been called a once-in-a-generation public health crisis. I am proud to have been your leader during this time tof technological and social change. Our administrative team and community guided our school through our first semester in the world of COVID-19. This hard work undertaken by all has allowed us to create a plan should we need to be nimble during this 20202021 academic year. While navigating a pandemic, we have been simultaneously engaging in discussions with alumni, faculty, and staff about diversity, equity, and inclusion issues that have come to the fore of all our thoughts. As leaders in the educational community, we believe that it is our responsibility to respond appropriately, and there is no better time than the present. Though we have had programming to develop empathy and social responsibility, this is just the beginning of a comprehensive approach we are undertaking. We certainly need to do more. And that is an ongoing demand that is and should always be present. With your help, we will equip our current generation and future generations of Spartans to engage in the heavy lifting of being proactive members of an inclusive community that seeks to serve all people with decency and respect. So what are we doing? This past summer has been spent with our staff, faculty, board of trustees, and alumni working on a strategic plan that will provide structure to our initiatives from 2020 through 2025. No small part of that strategic plan includes our plans for an Institute of Social Impact, which connects and expands efforts to understand and proactively create positive change in areas of racial, social, and economic inequality. In addition, alumni and leaders at WCS have further developed the framework for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts we began to spearhead last January. There is more about these efforts found on page 10. This issue of our Connection Magazine does reflect a bit on our past semester; however, we are also making a shift to include feature articles that highlight our current programming and plans for the future. Wichita Collegiate Family, please do take your time to read through these plans. In some spaces, we are giving you the most up-to-date information we have for each program prior to printing deadlines for this magazine. These programs are being built with experts in our community, but there is also no expert who can help us understand your experience on our campus better than you. Please know that our leadership team is always ready to hear from you. Together we are creating a Wichita Collegiate School where each Spartan will thrive. I am excited to be a part of this change with you.