From the Head of School

Mid-morning on a nice autumn day, I can walk around the school and see students in every space throughout the buildings and in the courtyard. They sit in the halls of the academic wing, lie on the couches in the Lubin-O’Donnell Center, perch on high chairs in conference spaces, study quietly on the third floor of the Virginia Wing Library, and enjoy the sun in the red Adirondack chairs in the courtyard. But more than that: they are with one another, studying together, laughing at each other’s jokes, listening to a song through shared ear buds, resting with their head on a friend’s shoulder, distracting themselves with movies on their computers, planning an assembly program, sharing a snack or an iced tea, writing and editing English essays. At the end of the day, almost anywhere in the school, I can find sweatshirts and water bottles, notebooks and pens, blankets, t-shirts, and travel mugs. Yes, perhaps they are forgetful, but really they are at home. Their sense of belonging is deep and multifaceted: they feel comfortable in the spaces, they are connected to their friends and classmates, and they have a strong sense of purpose here. School is more than a workplace for our students; it’s another home and another family, too.

In this issue, you will read about the many ways our students today experience belonging at Winsor. You’ll find the familiar and the new: a reflection of long held traditions and spaces alongside new ones that reflect the changing needs of our students. Consistent throughout is the steady development of the lifelong relationships and connection built while here.

As you think back on your time at Winsor, perhaps you recall some of the challenges you faced as a student. But throughout those memories, you likely also remember the sense of connection and belonging among friends who helped support you as you grew into the person you are today, as well as the spaces on campus where you consistently found a sense of ease and comfort. Our current students share that sense of connection and take comfort in the relationships and environment so unique to the Winsor experience. Like you, they will take that sense with them wherever they go in the world, knowing that wherever they are, they will always have a place to belong here.

Soon schedules will be sent out, seniors will return to paint their homeroom, and the courtyard and hallways will ring with the joyful sounds of our girls coming home. Tetherball, absent from campus for more than ten years now, will make its comeback. We hope you, too, will return to campus soon!  

—Sarah Pelmas