To: The Blair Parent Body
From: Chan
Date: April 30, 2007

I wanted to alert you to the exciting changes on campus and news coming from our weekend spring Board of Trustees meeting. While I usually allow our normal means of communication to keep you up-to-date with Blair (web site, various bulletins, and of course whatever your children decide to tell you), this news is such that I think a direct communication from me is in order.

As you probably know, we have for some time been planning to enhance and expand our campus and activity and athletic facilities to better serve students. Therefore, I am happy to announce that the Board of Trustees at its meeting this weekend formally voted to move ahead on this project, even as it is clear that we will need to continue to raise money in order to fully fund our construction goals and ensure the fiscal stability of the School.

Just a word or two on the genesis of this new project (okay, a few paragraphs). The administration first raised the need for such projects in 2001 when we formed a Strategic Planning Committee, which was composed of Trustees, alumni, parents (present and past), and faculty. Since that time, we have been quietly seeking leadership support for these ambitious projects. Last year Blair received an anonymous parent gift and we began planning for a new all-weather turf football field to be open and ready for the fall 2007 season. Though primarily serving football, this all-weather field will allow many teams—including boys’ and girls’ soccer and lacrosse—to utilize the space. The addition of lighting will bring night games to Blair, so that the whole community can come to a football, field hockey, or lacrosse game, much as it does now for basketball in the winter.

Once the purchase of the 120-acre section of land northwest of campus was completed this fall, assuring that we could expand the planning beyond this new field, the Board began to move forward in earnest in approving the new fields and facilities long needed by the School. These enhancements include an new all-weather track to replace our current cinder track, new tennis courts, a junior varsity baseball field, and at least one additional practice field. We shall also move the 7th fairway of the golf course slightly west onto the newly purchased property to make room for this expansion. Finally, if you see the plans, you will discover a new “loop road,” which will create a pedestrian-only center of campus.

For those of you joining us for Spring Arts Weekend, the result of our first phase of construction---clearing the fields---will be evident, looking like a Texas twister veered into rural New Jersey. We have made adjustments in our spring track and tennis programs to accommodate the significant work that needs to be done, and the completion date for the outdoor projects is set for August 20, 2007, so that the fall athletic season will not be compromised.

Understanding that this email may raise as many questions as it answers, I shall include more details about the new Activity and Athletic Center in my traditional summer letter at the end of the School year, but I do urge you to e-mail or call if you have specific questions or concerns.The good news is that while there will be some inconvenience in parking and navigating the west side of the campus, the vast majority of our academic and current social space will remain as it is throughout the construction. I expect the community to be quite energized and excited by the progress Blair is enjoying.

In sum, it is a very optimistic time on campus, as the current construction project promises to provide outstanding facilities, even greater opportunities for Blair students and faculty, and fulfill a vision of wonderful space that many of us have long held. We believe that these improvements also helped us to have the strongest season ever in admissions with applications up 23% from last year, and our enrollment goals for next year more than fully met.

Finally, tonight our seniors participate in what has become one of the great, new Blair traditions—The Senior Public Speaking Contest—which will take place at 8:00 pm in Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts. Anyone who lives nearby (and gets this e-mail in time) is welcome to come join us for what has become one of the highlights of the spring term.

I hope to see all of you before we finish the 2006-2007 school year.

return to top