Dear EA Faculty and Administration,
In a year full of uncertainty and challenge, the Scholium Staff would like to express our gratitude for all you have done to ensure our safety and offer a sense of normalcy in these unprecedented times.
While many schools across the country were forced to stay in a virtual learning format for the entirety or majority of the year, we are grateful for EA’s commitment to safe, in-person learning. This required immense flexibility, cooperation, and planning across all departments. We would like to specifically thank Laura Hurst, our Upper School nurse, for spearheading the contact tracing efforts that enabled us to safely learn in person. We would also like to thank the deans, teachers, and staff who all worked tirelessly to keep students in line with social distancing and masking protocols, which is not an easy feat. We are also especially grateful for the teachers and staff who dedicated their mornings everyday to checking everyone’s green-screen passes: another example of EA’s diligence regarding symptom-tracking and COVID protocols.
In addition to bringing students back on campus, EA accommodated its students who were not yet comfortable returning to an in-person setting or who were awaiting their quarantine or testing results. We are thankful for the resilience shown by our teachers who adapted lessons in order to teach students both in the classroom and on Zoom simultaneously.
Even in the midst of a COVID outbreak in the school, Episcopal administrators worked to successfully ensure a safe return to school. Due to their swift responses, we were able to quickly return to the in-person settings. Episcopal has demonstrated its priority is the safety of its students.
EA has also carried out multiple events to foster our school community in accordance with social distancing mandates. The decision to allow Inter-Ac competition for our sports teams this year was applauded by all athletes, bringing fruition to their diligent training. We thank the organization and determination of all of our Athletic Department staff for working to give students the sporting opportunities that are so valued in our community.
The arts department has also worked tirelessly to allow students to continue their passions. Giving the artists on campus an opportunity to display their many talents brings joy to both performers and their audiences. Also, the return of Arts Fest this year has been eagerly anticipated by the EA community and we are immensely grateful for the hard work of the art department.
Flexibility was a necessary hallmark of this year, as we all had to adjust our normal practices and routines to accommodate COVID-19 guidelines. We would like to thank Sage Dining for modifying our typical lunch system across two dining halls, with the addition of lunches in the Competition Gym Field House this year. Sage also was dedicated to keeping the cafeteria settings COVID-safe, wiping tables down after students and setting up plastic dividers on each table. Furthermore, Sage was still dedicated to celebrating customary and uplifting events, such as Picnic Day on the green. Their creative themed lunches and friendly service continue to brighten students’ days.
The Upper School faculty, while working foremost to provide an education equal to those of past years, also allowed Student Council to sprinkle in school wide events that provided a much needed pick-me-up to students throughout the year. The inclusion of typical Spirit Week traditions in the fall lifted moods across the entire Upper School. The addition of near-weekly dress down days on Fridays also boosted student morale during the hardest parts of the year, demonstrating EA’s care for student wellbeing. We are thankful for all the little events that EA planned for the student body.
In their strides to make the remaining weeks of school reflect those of a traditional school year, the Episcopal administration has created plans for a prom and in-person graduation this June. We understand the amount of organization and design that these two events demand and are so thankful that we are able to have the opportunity to make lasting, valuable memories in our last year or month at EA. We are also extremely appreciative of the measures that are being taken to ensure our safety in these events, such as the organization of on-campus testing prior to them and the set up of outdoor areas for the dance and graduation ceremony to take place.
The successful return of Senior Assassin and the Powderpuff Football game between Senior and Junior girls are two traditions that reflect the measures taken by students and Upper School leadership to return to normalcy. Senior Assassin, which ended abruptly last March when we transitioned online, has inspired playful competition and light-hearted entertainment amongst the senior class. The Powderpuff Football game creates a sense of community amongst the upperclassmen grades and we are grateful for the opportunity to partake in both.
The practical and rational implementation of safety measures throughout the school year has permitted students to engage in valued aspects of our community and we can not express how grateful we are for the diligent responses of EA faculty and staff.