From Hilltop to Home

We Are Young. The song, written by the musical groupFun, took center stage among the 25 performances at Blairstock yesterday afternoon. As student performers sang and the audience of 100-plus joined along, I focused on the title—compartmentalized some of the lyrics(!)—and
reflected on the beauty of this annual spring moment and the reminder that much of our work as a school is about creating, fostering, and sustaining spaces and experiences such as Blairstock in which our students can be young.

International Weekend is a favorite experience of the school year, not just because it’s deliciously tasty, but also because students share their family recipes—and, therein, a part of their culture—with us. 

“There’s no failure in sports. There are good days, bad days. Some days you are able to be successful, some days you’re not. Some days it’s your turn, some days it’s not your turn.” You may recall this quote from the Greek-Nigerian basketball player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, when he responded to an interviewer about whether he considered their loss to the Miami Heat last spring a failure. I stumbled upon it recently and thought I would use it to begin this letter as we transition from the winter to the spring athletic season and embark on a week of interschool competition known as the Headmasters’ Societies Games.

After a spectacular J-term period, we moved into the routine of second semester classes on Monday. I was glad to be back to giving high fives and holding open the Clinton Hall door while Mr. Curran—with Bowdoin at his side—gave fist bumps to all who passed by for first block class. The energy was high and most students seemed eager to have returned to routine.

It was a pleasure connecting with many of you during Family Weekend and at Peddie Day, the  latter of which was held this past weekend at Blair. It was a glorious day—our campus was sparkling with the colors of autumn blended with the blue and gray that adorned our athletes, fans, parents and the many alumni who ventured back to cheer on their Bucs. As you know by now, the day concluded in a tie, and, as protocol dictates, each team holds the Kelley-Potter Cup for half the year and the home team is the first to get the Cup.