News - Administration
Summer Afternoons
By Nancy Heuston, Head of School
There is nothing as lovely as a summer afternoon.*
Unless it is a morning in June.
On 7 June at 11am, families and faculty will gather in Abravanel Hall to honor the members of the Class of 2012. Commencement is always a glorious event, and we invite you to come and imagine your child sitting on the stage, in the years just ahead.
As with every ritual, this will take on the personality of those being honored. As a Waterford tradition, it also conveys the essence of our community: attention to the individual, applause for accomplishment, thoughtful articulation of aspiration, and acknowledgement that this is the beginning of their lives as members of a larger world, as citizens of the global community.
They are ready.
They have prepared to step forward, to continue their education — toward contributing significantly and serving generously.
This is also the day that summer comes to Waterford families. This Thirtieth Anniversary Year has been wonderful in every important way. Faculty point to the growth of their students, evident in their honing skills, sculpting talents, discovering new interests, and shaping our School community as they support and respect one another. We will return in the fall to continue this process, on an upward trajectory.
But for now, we rest and replenish.
With deepest appreciation for your active support, tinged always with beneficence, we wish for you a summer of family time, at a calmer pace and peppered with days when no watches are worn. The student growth that we observe daily occurs only when parents are involved — carefully and consistently; hence, the need for families to take a deep breath, together.
In closing, and because we are inescapably and inexorably a list-making people, I share with you a list that travels with me from year to year.
Read a book each week. Walk in the cool of the early morning. Eat fresh, organizing meals around fruits and vegetables. Rediscover the beauty of mountains — here and in Vermont. Share with my children and grandchildren what I am beginning to understand and hold most dear.
May your list be simple. May your summer together be pleasurable and full of delight.
*(The thought comes from Henry James: “Summer afternoon…summer afternoon…the two most beautiful words in the English language.”)