Message from the Head of School

Scott Jones Head of School

Dear Westminster family:

e are more than halfway through 2020, and it has been a year like no other. Few of us paid much attention to the small news story on page eight of the newspaper on January 1 about a novel coronavirus in China as we celebrated the beginning of a new decade. We could W not have imagined that within a few months, a pandemic would change everything. Our country and our world have been disrupted in unfathomable ways. Anxiety and uncertainty are high. Horrific events have unfolded in our country shedding light on racism and injustice. Our fellow citizens are hurting, and our nation is experiencing pain, confusion, and division. Though much of what we have experienced in 2020 thus far has been challenging, we seek to highlight some good news and a sense of optimism in this issue of Then & Now.

In early March, I spoke to our high school students and announced that based on information we had from the Florida Department of Education at that moment, Florida was determined to be at low-risk by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and there were no plans for school cancellations. Within 24 hours, everything changed and we had to announce that we would temporarily suspend normal on-campus operations and shift to a temporary remote learning plan. Our community (faculty, staff, students, and parents) made this transition quickly and successfully. This magazine includes some highlights and snapshots from these remote learning experiences. And as we now know, our temporary campus closure lasted until the end of the school year. During these months of pandemic restrictions, we have heard stories of members of the Westminster community who have stepped up to meet needs. Be sure and read the cover story about Anne Heetderks and her mask-making team, and also take note of the highlights about several of our alumni who are first responders.

Speaking of alumni, we look forward to continuing to tell stories of our alumni in every issue of Then & Now. Westminster alumni are doing incredible things around the world. This issue features stories about Tracey Gompf Russell ‘86 and Adrian Mayans ‘15. Of course, there are short notes about many other alumni in the Roll Call section. If you attended Westminster, please keep in touch and let us know what you are doing through Warrior Alumni Connect or by emailing us at alumni@wcsmiami.org. We continue to be committed to increasing the frequency of alumni gatherings and events, of course, pandemic permitting!

Westminster seeks to pursue excellence through innovation, continuous improvement, and accountability. We value academic excellence and we are challenging students to reach higher through our new Emerald Scholars Program, which is highlighted in this issue. Our remote learning experience proved to be both a disruptor and a catalyst for innovation. We are laying the groundwork and leveraging technology for some new means of educational delivery that will provide for flexible approaches to learning, personalized learning for our current students, and new possibilities for prospective students outside of our area to access certain aspects of the Westminster educational experience. We look forward to continually improving as a school and using what we have learned institutionally to benefit our students intellectually, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.

We are optimistic about the future. Demand and enrollment are stronger than ever in Westminster’s history. Our strategic plan contains an exciting road map as we seek to better achieve our mission. Yet in the midst of a bright future, our hearts are heavy and we are sensitive to the pain, suffering, and despair in our community and in our nation. As a leader in Christian education, we want to be a part of the solution to the problems in our society. Most specifically, we are committed to continuing our unwavering commitment to our stated mission of developing ambassadors for Christ who will be the salt and light to a world that needs the hope found only in Christ.

Blessings,

Scott Jones Head of School