Dear Wellington Community,
What a delight it was to see our 750 Jags on campus this morning! Beginning a new school year brings immense feelings of hope and purpose for educators, students, and families alike. Starting something together is special, and this year, we embark on an exploration and celebration of a Culture of Challenge.
As a guiding school theme, a Culture of Challenge means supporting one another as we raise the bar for what we and our school can be. It means pairing high expectations with high support—for students, teachers, parents, and alumni, too. It means grappling with complexity and taking responsibility for our learning and growth. It means reflecting our community’s heart and upholding our values every day. It means showing up as our best selves with curiosity, ambition, empathy, and responsibility.
All Together Now: Rowing in the Same Direction
This summer, I joined a local rowing club—a teenage curiosity I thought I’d never really fulfill. Rowing on the water for the first time has been deeply generative and quite different from my time on the rowing machine at the gym.
My more experienced teammates are understandably frustrated by my lack of rhythm, incessant questions, and unabating need for repeated instruction. They are also extremely kind and encouraging. Rowing on water—it turns out—is really hard. The current and the wind do as they please, and getting in sync with seven other rowers in a tippy shell is an elusive, fine art. The elements and my teammates are constantly reminding me to adjust. I’m sore. I’m challenged … and I’m loving it. (Which is, after all, Wellington’s definition of engagement!)
My foray into rowing has reminded me what it feels like to be new at something, to learn, to be challenged—what we strive to have our students feel regularly. It has been humbling, at times mind boggling, and totally gratifying. I’m grateful for all of it, especially the perspective it is giving me about the importance and impact of what we do as educators.
And yes, I’ve become one of those rowers, full of rowing analogies. For example, we all know how crucial it is that we all row in the same direction. In May, the Board of Trustees voted to approve Wellington’s next Strategic Plan, which will be unveiled formally at our back-to-school parent social. The plan presents a bold vision for the future, and I can’t wait to share it with you.
Mark your calendars
A Toast to Tomorrow: Back-to-School Social & Unveiling of Wellington’s Strategic Plan
September 30 at 6 p.m.
So, let’s get our paddles in the water and get going! Click here to read exciting updates that are sure to launch us all into the year rowing harmoniously in the same direction with the optimism and determination that only Jags can muster!
As I begin my second year as Wellington’s Head of School, I want to express how grateful and proud I am to serve and lead this amazing community. We are ready for a new year. We are bold, courageous, and curious. We are caring, we are genuine, and we are Wellington. This is our joyful and intrepid Culture of Challenge! It’s going to be a terrific year.
As always, thank you for all you do for Wellington, and…Go, Jags!
Eliza McLaren