2 minute read
From the Editor
VICKI KING
Director of Auxiliary Programs
The Gathering Tree that stands between the McRae Center and the Senior High served as the inspiration for this issue. It has heard countless conversations from a myriad of voices, watching the growth of Prep since the school’s founding. The spot has hosted teachers and students for lunch, meetings, collaborations, art projects, photographs, and simple relaxation. It has provided shade and kept secrets.
During our remote learning days, we reinforced layers of technological support throughout the campus. Without our steadfast commitment to cutting-edge technology, students would be hindered in their exposure to creative and innovative ways of learning. However, COVID reminded everyone that in-person communication cannot be fully replaced by video conferencing. Vital as it is to the future of the school, technology does not lend itself to long or meaningful dialogues. Screens limit our understanding of nuanced behaviors and obscure the depth of facial expressions. We crave a conversation in its natural context, and those rich, human conversations and connections are now restored. We witness these personal connections every day in classrooms; talented teachers produce students who are innovative, inspired, and compassionate. As you read this issue, you will marvel at the diversity of voices at Prep. The aging live oak has weathered the ups and downs of Prep right along with us. It serves as a reminder for us to never lose sight of the fact that it is personal relationships and connections that make the school what it is today. Useful as digital tools of the past year may have been, they cannot replace the growth in community that the Gathering Tree has fostered over the decades. There is no question that many of our alumni and current students have fond memories of that unique space.
I can see in the acorn the oak tree. Maya Angelou
