OBSTACLES AND OPPORTUNITIES

EACH OF US, AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE, HAS FACED GREAT CHALLENGES IN THE PAST YEAR.

There have been obstacles faced by Aberdeen Hall, threatening its ability to deliver on the expected high standard of education while maintaining the health of students and staff. We are grateful for a supportive community who have come together to face the demands that life during a pandemic has presented thus far.

Simply managing the new and constantly evolving rules mandated by the government and the reality of a pandemic has been a challenge. Great demands have been put on all Aberdeen Hall constituents, and we should expect that there will be more.

Almost 2000 years ago, perhaps the greatest of Roman Emperors, Marcus Aurelius, also faced a pandemic that lasted over 15 years. As a leader, he wrote down his thoughts almost daily, including this:

“Our actions may be impeded...but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting.”

And then he concluded the thought with this:

“The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”

Most of what will happen in the future is out of our control, but we do control how we react. I give high marks to all our teachers, administrators and leadership for preparing in advance should the pandemic take a turn for the worse.

Aberdeen Hall does not aim to take actions that are good enough, we instead strive to be the best we can be.

The Aberdeen Hall Board of Directors receives regular updates from our Head of School, Chris Grieve, on the preparations he and his staff have made should the pandemic take a turn for the worse in our community. A great deal of work has been done which, hopefully, will never need to be utilized. However, should the situation demand it, Aberdeen Hall is prepared to overcome the obstacles as they come.

This preparation comes in many forms, including the development of online programming, teaching students how to use new tools and follow new procedures, introducing mental health solutions for staff, students and faculty and financial support for families in need, and maintaining the highest level of fiscal responsibility to ensure Aberdeen Hall remains financially healthy and continues to thrive.

Dealing with Covid-19 has been demanding, but what is perhaps most impressive is how our kids have responded. They have been asked to take on new responsibilities, including heightened cleanliness, wearing masks, keeping a distance from their peers and moving only within their cohorts. From what I hear, their ability to adapt and follow the new protocols has been excellent.

We can be optimistic about the future because we have seen how our students and school staff have responded to obstacles in the past: with resilience, determination, hard work, thoughtfulness, and kindness to others. Armed with these characteristics, we will overcome what comes next.

It has not been easy, but evolving and improving never is. This is perhaps one of the great lessons for our children to take away from the pandemic. Good things come when we face and overcome obstacles.