October 24, 2008

Dear Parents,

We have decided to move the Fall Carnival & Senior Haunted House to next Wednesday.  As a rule, we try not to reschedule events unless necessary.  Although the event will be on a school night, we will try to keep realistic homework expectations for students so they can come and enjoy the festivities. 

I want to congratulate our athletes for their hard work and spirited commitment this season.  Good luck to our runners at Cross Country regionals this weekend.  Soon, our actors will be taking the stage for performances.  In the meantime, please remember that all students should be picked up by 5 pm.  We try to accommodate variable parent schedules, and I am often here later, but in my absence, no faculty should have to stay in the building beyond 5:15 pm.  If this is a problem, please make alternative pick-up plans.

We have the opportunity on Thursday night to introduce parents officially to Reese Hall.  This is an opportunity for parents to see the new building, have a glass of wine, and enjoy each other’s company.  A lot of effort and generosity went into making this new facility available to our students and we want to thank you.  We will have faculty members on hand to talk about the impact of the new building on their work.  We hope to see you there.

Betsy informs me that Sara Asher and her twins were just released from the hospital today.  The doctors wanted Gillian, the smaller twin, to reach a healthy size before being released.  We will be helping her out in early November with meals, and you can contact Mr. Gollier or Ms. Galas if you would like details on how to help.

HALLOWEEN.  The longer I work with children, the more perfectly scheduled this holiday seems to be!  The end of October is a headlong and giddy descent into madness.  The trick is just to go with it.  We hope to have pumpkin carving (which is only really terrifying to the faculty) and, yes, we will continue the tradition of costumes on Friday.  As always, we simply ask that students not dress too scantily or bring actual weaponry.

As you know, Ms. Galas helped bring in Stacey Burton, an education outreach representative from the Douglas County AIDS Project, to talk to the student body on Wednesday.  This presentation was part of a broader wellness program at Seabury.  The purpose of this presentation was not simply to scare students into a particular behavior, though they were probably troubled by some information.  I think fear is rarely as useful as information.  Our primary aim as educators is to make students more capable of making wise and deliberate choices.

When we speak to students about the most important aspects of human life and behavior—including sexuality and physical health—an educator must walk a line between truth and appropriateness.  I feel that we are having an authentic and effective conversation with students about these issues.  I also believe that a trust is forming between students and staff that will allow us to help students to become more healthy individuals in the long run. 

As always, I deeply appreciate your support and trust in our work with your children, and I hope you will always feel free to contact us and tell us your stories from home. 

Yours respectfully,

Dr. Schawang