MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Saint Mary's endures, succeeds in 2020 By Brendan J. O'Shea, Head of School
Dear Members of the Saint Mary’s Community, What a strange, unpredictable and rather wild ride 2020 has provided all of us. Just a year ago when 2020 began, none of us could have predicted the challenges and issues we would face at Saint Mary’s, in Raleigh, in our country, and around the world. Though it’s been a year full of surprises and continual challenges, we’ve also grown during this time. We’ve all learned that flexibility is paramount, compassion is essential, and communication is more important than ever. The entire Saint Mary’s community has responded like true Saints. With all that we have faced, Saint Mary’s continues to endure and succeed. There are many, many people to acknowledge and thank for their efforts to keep Saint Mary’s going strong. Our team of employees at Saint Mary’s has been essential to the institution’s success. Each and every member of the team has adjusted to different protocols and standards, from sanitizing public spaces several times a day to delivering instruction virtually. No one’s job is exactly that same as it was a year ago. We must acknowledge it has not always been easy over the last ninth months, wearing a face mask and maintaining social distance guidelines. For a community built on connections and relationships, this has been a challenging and frustrating time. We enjoy each other’s company, after all! However, the creative juices of many community members have delivered innovative ways to stay connected as evidenced by newfound uses for numerous outdoor spaces on our attractive 23-acre campus. Our students deserve massive credit for allowing Saint Mary’s to complete the fall season with on-campus, in-person learning. It is well-known that universities in our immediate area were not so fortunate and public high schools in our county remained virtual all fall. Other independent day schools in the area shared similar success with Saint Mary’s. Our demographic, with a mix of boarding and day students, brings many added layers of complexity to the
situation. Time and time again, our girls stated they were thrilled to be on campus with each other, and while maintaining protocols was sometimes aggravating, the in-person experience far outweighed any inconvenience was far outweighed by the in-person experience. Parents of our current students must be acknowledged and thanked as well. In order to keep the flow of visitors to campus to a manageable level, parents have not been able to attend athletic contests and a plethora of other school events such as Family Day, school awards assemblies, Junior Ring Ceremony and Lighting O’ the Grove. On the bright side, parents have mastered new skills such as participating in online meetings and live streaming events from Saint Mary’s! Finally, a major “thank you” is due to our alumnae from across the country. Support from alumnae takes numerous forms – spiritual support through prayer, crucial word-of-mouth support through telling our story, and financial support through our annual fund. Each of these support mechanisms is invaluable. And though most alumnae are not on campus daily, your presence is felt here through the many traditions we cherish and by the support you provide to our students through your generosity of spirit and resources. So, as we usher in a new calendar year, know that Saint Mary’s is made for the long haul. With a year like 2020 behind us, we are confident we can manage the challenges future years will present. After all, Saint Mary’s has been blazing a trail since 1842. We’re ready for many more good years. Bring it on! Let’s Go Saints!
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