One of the continuing challenges of this highly unusual school year has been finding alternative ways to fulfill some of our long-established traditions.

Today’s somewhat truncated Halloween parades were an example.

Head of Lotspeich Carolyn Fox and Head of Doherty Tracy Murch both found creative ways to reroute parades to preserve social distancing. Doherty’s celebration was a car parade. Costumed students ringed the carpool lines while parents drove by to survey long lines of fairy princesses, dinosaurs, Jedi knights, and superheroes. On the Hillsdale Campus, the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students circumambulated the Taft Center, one class at a time, showing off their costumes to their peers and their teachers. Students in grades one through five paraded on the track with a handful of fifth-grade parents proudly in attendance.  I was struck again, with the resilience of our students. They quickly and graciously adapted to the new routines, and a good time was had by all!

We are trying to do all we can, in each passing week, to preserve our strong sense of community in ways that are consistent with safety and social distancing.

I appreciate the hard work and creativity of all those involved in devising these clever alternatives to long-held traditions.

Chris Garten
Head of School