Dear Woodstock Families, Congratulations on making it to the end of what might very well be the most challenging year of learning in Woodstock’s 166 years of existence--and that is saying a lot! Woodstock School has endured the excitement and tumult of Indian Independence in 1947, during which local green beans were the only food available to students for two weeks. And the Uttarkashi earthquake in 1991, during which the school felt aftershocks for almost a week--the ground literally shifted beneath our feet. We navigated the chaos and subsequent evacuation of the school during the Ayodhya crisis in 1992, when December exams were cancelled, much to the relief of students. In fact, during the protests leading up to the creation of the state of Uttarakhand, in 2000, all classes had to be shifted to the dorms for weeks, and students drilled evacuations up and down the hillside, and even into the jungle! The Woodstock community is adaptable and resilient. This latest challenge of COVID-19 calls for perhaps even greater resourcefulness and determination, and we are rising to the challenge. Though the school created a COVID-19 Task Force in January, 2020, the severity of the global situation quite suddenly ramped up in mid-March, as I’m sure you remember. The last few weeks have been a time of emergency response. Many staff availed of evacuation flights home to their countries of origin. Students struggled to prepare for end-of-year projects, papers, and external exams. Some students were unable to return home and remain in Hostel and Midlands, under the care of our dorm parents. Parents may recall that our first two weeks asked too much of students. The need of the hour was first for compassion and time to adjust to a new reality. Our revised distance learning guidelines that were enacted for April and May were appropriate to the situation at hand, but lacked the routine and accountability we expect of Woodstock’s rigorous approach to education. Even in the midst of these challenges, the Class of 2020 completed their Advanced Placement examinations, the Class of 2021 remained on track in their IB Diploma Programme coursework, and the class of 2022 made history by completing their MYP ePortfolios and other requirements to graduate from the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. This letter is intended to share with you some of the preparations we are making as we enter the fall, recognizing the ways that our lives and learning continue to be significantly impacted by COVID-19. One of the reasons you chose Woodstock is because we proudly insist on educating the whole child. Rigorous academic learning forms one of the three important facets of a Woodstock education--we are equally interested in close attention to personal development and in particular the quality of pastoral care that our alumni speak of with great fondness. In each area, we are preparing for July, 2020, and how best to meet the needs of our students. Best wishes, Dr Craig Cook Principal
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