Dear Upper School Families,
Samwise Gamgee is one of my favorite characters in “The Lord of the Rings.” Sam is not the strongest or the most celebrated, and he is the most dependable. He is loyal, caring, and willing to stay when things get difficult. He shows up with consistency, especially when the journey feels uncertain.
Lately, I have found myself thinking about Sam as a parent. What does it look like to show up for our children with that same steadiness, especially during moments when we are all tired, stretched, and close to the finish?
This is where many of our students are right now.
The finish line is in sight, but not yet within reach. The work does not go away, and the days start to feel long. This is often when focus slips, not because students do not care, but because staying engaged takes more than motivation. It takes habits, discipline, and support.
The final push matters. It is where students learn how to follow through, how to stay with something when it becomes difficult, and how to finish what they started. These are habits that carry far beyond a single assignment or class. Our role as adults matters just as much in this moment. The challenge right now is not just time. It is attention. The ability to stay present, to focus on what is in front of them, and to resist the pull of distraction is hard, and it is learned.
Your role in this moment is to protect the conditions that are already working.
Steady routines.
Clear expectations.
A calm presence that keeps them moving forward.
And maybe most importantly, we can be like Sam.
We can be patient when our children are not at their best.
We can hold belief for them when they lose it for themselves.
We can support without taking the journey away from them.
All students will receive comments and WLM for each of their classes on April 24. I encourage you to take some time to review them with your child. The feedback can help guide conversations about how they are finishing the year and where their focus can be. We are in this together, working to help your child get to the finish line.
Best,
Rishi
Rishi Raghunathan
Head of Upper School
Teaching Tomorrow: How Wellington Approaches Digital Responsibility - April 21
Join the Digital Citizenship Parent Group on Thursday, April 21, from 8:30-9:30 a.m., in the Doerschlag Den. Technology is changing quickly, and Wellington is thinking carefully about how to prepare students for the future. Director of Technology John Kruzan and Shelley Brown, assistant head of school for academics and head of early childhood and lower school, will help us learn more about Wellington’s approach to technology, including our work with artificial intelligence and digital literacy from preschool through grade 12. We will share how these skills grow over time and how we are connecting today’s learning to the expectations students will encounter in college and beyond. Learn more about the Digital Citizenship Parent group here.
Important Dates
04/13-04/17: US Arts Week
04/15: WISE Parents/Caregivers' Orientation (Ecuador, Norway, Poland), Thomas Family Dining Room, 6:30 p.m.
04/22: US Pinson Day
04/24: US Trimester 3 Comments Post
04/29: US Strings/Band/Choir Concert, BPAC, 6:30 p.m.
04/30: Prom Pledge, BPAC, 9:40 a.m.
05/01: Grandparents and Special Friends Day, 11:30 dismissal
05/01: Prom, 8:00 p.m. (Tickets can be purchased here.)
05/04-05/08: US Spirit Week
05/04-05/15: AP Tests
05/08: US Senior Run, Roberts Field, 2:15 p.m.
05/08: Last Day of Classes for Seniors/Trimester 3 Ends for Seniors
05/08: Jag Friday Dress Down
05/13: US Honors Convocation, BPAC, 2:10 p.m.
05/22: Last Day of Classes/Trimester 3 Ends for Grades 9-11
05/23-06/03: WISE Ecuador
05/25: SCHOOL CLOSED: Memorial Day
05/26-06/06: WISE Norway
05/27: US Senior Celebration Dinner
05/28: US Commencement Practice, Gard Gym, 12:00 p.m.
05/29: US Commencement, Gard Gym, 10:00 a.m.
05/29-06/08: WISE Poland