Blog

A Letter of Thanks to Our Community

by Andrew Kleyn, Middle and High school Principal

One year ago, I got on the intercom at school and misspoke. I intended to say, “Grab everything you need from your locker for the next week.” Instead, I said, “Grab everything from your locker.” Few of us could have imagined the journey we would take as a community over the next year. In a recent chapel, we reflected back on the year and talked about having both grief and gratitude. We can grieve the loss of events and of normalcy, and, as we look beyond our community, we grieve the tragic loss of lives.

We can also reflect with gratitude on what God has done for and through this community. We are grateful for the events and activities we’ve implemented. We are so grateful to be learning in person. We know how fragile in-person learning is, and we’re grateful to the students, families, staff, and teachers who work to make it possible. We can look back with both grief and gratitude.

We also look ahead. We know that the challenge of the pandemic is not over yet. So, we recommit to working together to prevent the spread of this virus. A way to honor grief and loss is to work to prevent more loss. A way to live out gratitude is to be wise and loving in our actions.

We invite families to take time to reflect on God’s goodness. “Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (Psalm 42).