From the Desk of the Head of School- April 21, 2023

Dear Harding Academy Learning Community,

This week begins the very fast track to the end of the school year. It is an interesting time of year, because in the classroom our students are functioning at their very best. The work of inquiry and skill development is paying dividends in terms of the outcomes of learning we see across the curriculum. Students are mastering concepts and able to demonstrate new skills with confidence. They are doing all of this with classmates who have grown closer with each other and teachers who have invested deeply in their students’ success. 

It is in this context that we came together this week to learn, laugh, support, and welcome each other across three events. First, we hosted Anya Baum, a Holocaust survivor whose message of loving family and caring for each other had a tremendous impact. Second, we were all treated to the incredible 1st Grade Play based on the poetry of Shel Silverstein. Our young actors and singers did a tremendous job delivering their lines and hitting their marks and performing in front of 500+ of their friends. Last, we hosted our recently admitted families who will join us next year at our New Parent Social in the Middle School Courtyard. Meeting the next generation of families who will carry the torch of our mission was both exciting and reassuring. 

It is this not-so-secret combination of student learning and community celebrating that makes us who we are. It’s what attracted us all to Harding Academy and it has been a hallowed value of this place since its inception. Thank you all for committing so completely to it. 

Have a great weekend.