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Excited About the Future, Remembering the Past

10/1/2019

As we close the first month of the 2019–2020 school year, I am excited about what lies ahead for our school and our community.

Safety & Security

Like schools across the country, the topic of school safety continues to play a prominent role in discussion and planning for members of our Sanford leadership team. During the summer, our Crisis Management Team met to plan our drills and training for the year. In addition, we have added several internal and external cameras to our existing system. Internal door bolts have been installed on classroom doors in all three divisions. Thanks to a generous donor, network extenders—which enhance Verizon's data and voice coverage to provide better mobile phone service—have been installed throughout campus. We are fortunate to have a safe school, and we are committed to remaining vigilant to ensure Sanford continues to be a safe place to learn, play, and work.

Fundraising

We continue to make great use of the gifts that our supporters generously give Sanford. Last year, we raised $1.7 million. Donor generosity to the Annual Fund, auction, bequests, and special projects made this fundraising accomplishment possible.

We will launch our 2019–20 Annual Fund soon. Sanford’s Annual Fund is our yearly effort to pay the school’s expenses that tuition does not fund, and I hope all of our families participate at a meaningful level for them. Every faculty and staff member has already demonstrated commitment to the school by making a gift to the Annual Fund. We are focusing on achieving 100% participation from our families.

Strengthening Sanford’s philanthropic culture over the past few years has allowed us to improve our programs and campus. With donor support, we can achieve ambitious goals. Stay tuned for fun, exciting, and meaningful ways that you can get involved and help make Sanford bolder, brighter, and stronger. When you give to and volunteer for Sanford, your dollars and energy make a real difference for our effort.

Programs

From this year's lineup of SRTC productions to new and modified course offerings to continuing momentum in sports success, this year promises to be one of the best in Sanford's history.

One of the new initiatives that reflects who we are is this year's school-wide theme, which is Identity. Through activities in all three divisions, in classes, and in advisories—we will be asking students to think about their own identity. What makes you - YOU? We will learn about unique identities and work on understanding the richness of experiences that we have right here in our Sanford community. My hope is that we all see that every one of our identities adds to the strength of our school.

I also ask members of our community to consider our Sanford identity. What makes Sanford - Sanford? This question brought back a memory for me. Years ago, graduating senior Phoebe Hering '12 said in her Commencement speech that Sanford is sometimes seen as an enigma to other schools. Kids from other independent schools can’t figure us out. Phoebe’s remarks always stuck with me. Today, I encourage you to remember and share these thoughts with others:

At Sanford, we are not just one thing.
We aren’t just a jock school,
Or an art school,
Or a school for STEM high fliers.
We are not any one of those—Sanford is all of those things. PROUDLY.

At Sanford, you can, and should, go from
Chorus rehearsal to basketball practice.
From the STEM lab to the theater stage.
Because ALL of Sanford is your stage.

In our classrooms, throughout our computer labs, on our playing fields, and all around this campus, students define themselves every single day. They are discovering and building their own identities. I am very proud and quite grateful that all 584 students and the alumni that have come before them are our Sanford identity.

In closing, while the focus of this message has been on looking ahead, please join me in taking a look back at memories from last year's school-wide theme of Mindfulness. Special thanks to Sanford alumni parents and grandparents Nancy and Mike Pia for their support of our mindfulness program and the video that you see here.

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