OVAL & QUAD REFLECTIONS

OVAL+QUAD

GRETCHEN WARNER HEAD OF SCHOOL

It seems the universe has finally caught up to Madeira women, and the world is more ready ” than ever for our graduates.

While the 2020–21 school year has been unusual, it has also highlighted the very best of Lucy Madeira’s founding vision. Earlier this spring we convened a Strategic Planning Committee to begin to plan Madeira’s strategic vision, action steps, and desired outcomes for the next five years. As a part of that process, I am proud to share that the Board of Trustees affirmed the School’s mission and vision and were unanimous in their agreement that Madeira’s mission is made for this moment in time. It seems the universe has finally caught up to Madeira women, and the world is more ready than ever for our graduates. More details about the comprehensive strategic planning process and opportunities for full community engagement will be shared in Fall 2021. We completed the All the Difference campaign on June 30, 2021! Among the many things to look forward to in Madeira’s bright future is the ground-breaking for our new STEAM Academic Center, tentatively scheduled for early Spring 2022. This new academic center will be the hub of Madeira’s evolving program that delivers STEM and Arts education in innovative, interdisciplinary, research-driven, and student-centered ways.

As the pandemic has begun to release its grip, we are seeing new growth and ideas permeate all aspects of our society, and Madeira is no exception. Among the many lessons we

learned this year, the most predominant is how critical connection and community are in a time of uncertainty. And as we slowly enter our post-pandemic “new normal,” connection and community remain at the fore. I recently heard Dr. Christine Runyan, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and co-founder of Tend Health, speak about the direct connections among physical behaviors, mental health, and performance at work/school. The human brain does not like uncertainty, and for the past year our brains have been deploying compensatory neurological strategies that may not always have aligned with our biological systems. Taking a moment to breathe, reset, and plan a path forward is essential, and that is exactly what Madeira is doing.

At its core, Madeira is a learning community. As we approach a new era of education we are guided by our mission, vision, and the evolving research in how girls learn and thrive, particularly as we emerge from a year of uncertainty. What is as resonant as ever is that Madeira is a place where our core values remain strong, and we remain strong in our girls.

Festina Lente,

Gretchen

FROM THE EDITOR

It is fitting that Madeira’s theme this year was “Connect,” and we definitely found creative new ways to connect with our community. One thing I noticed about our alumnae community was that while we could not meet in person, Madeira alums connected—from Zoom gatherings to shared class letter writing to extended versions of Class Notes. And there was something else that connected us—our pets! Even though we didn’t receive the usual fun travel and class meet-up photos, we collected a number of pet photos. With this spark, our theme for this issue—Pandemic Pets!—was born. When we put out the call for alums to share their pandemic pet photos, I figured 20 photos might come in if we were lucky. Turns out we got over 150 submissions! Needless to say, we were thrilled to add 14 pages to this issue to accommodate every one of Madeira’s furry friends. Enjoy meeting these pets and hearing about their owners. Beyond our pets, Madeira connected in other important ways highlighted throughout this issue—including the Installation of Gretchen Warner as our 10th Head of School, and our invaluable Co-Curriculum mentors—dedicated alumnae, parents, and friends who are partnering with today’s Madeira students. Our community is the heart of the Madeira experience, and this amazing community is stronger than ever.

KAREN JOOSTEMA

Send comments to KJoostema@Madeira.org