Head of School

Dear San Domenico Community Members,

I write today as the Omicron variant sweeps our country and I reflect back on the sweetness of our Annual Thanksgiving Food Drive and the loading of the food trucks (see more on p. 22). The event is a highlight of every year, with the students, faculty, and staff working collaboratively to serve those in our community who are facing food insecurity. It is a beautiful thing to witness and partake in each year: the colored leaves above the students as they carry 30,000-plus cans and boxes of food, a reminder of the always-changing times.

In academia, there is a predictable flow to the years, even when there are big disruptions such as COVID-19. When our editorial team first decided on the theme for this issue, “Full STEAM Ahead,” it was a nod to how the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math move us forward in a quickly changing world, and it seemed the pandemic would be nearly over and all of us would be moving forward out of this chapter. Sadly, the virus variants continue to threaten many people around the world and the ramifications continue to impact us here on campus too. While 100 percent of our faculty and staff are vaccinated, as are the majority of our eligible students, many of our families and extended community still grapple with emotional and/or economic challenges from the ripple effects of this historic virus.

In true San Domenico form, however, we are moving through this recovery phase much like our founding Sisters did when they forged ahead in establishing Dominican education in California back in 1850: with courage, compassion, resilience, and deep dedication to one another.

We move full steam ahead because, even though we may be tired at times, our shared hope and commitment to our students and their future is strong and unwavering. The Sisters never gave up and neither have we, and our School is all the stronger for it. As you will see in these pages, the students and teachers are so, so very grateful to be on campus together, in science labs, at sporting events, creating, making, dreaming, doing. We know the one constant is change and as a community, we adapt and grow together. Speaking of change, for many years, Sister Gervaise has written Verities as part of the introduction to these School Ties magazines. Just as the seasons move forward each year, we can’t slow the passing of time, and Sister has shared that the time has come for her to step back from writing for each issue. She promises that she will share her reflections whenever she is inspired to write and we will carry on the seeds she has planted here at our School, both literally and metaphorically. As you can see in the Annual Report (p. 52) and the glowing California Association of Independent Schools Accreditation Report (p. 6) we received this spring, the campus and the programs Sister Gervaise has been so instrumental in building are thriving as never before. We can never say thank you enough to Sister Gervaise and we will continue to seek ways to honor her many and integral contributions to our community. We also thank each of you who is part of our San Domenico family.

All the best,

Cecily Stock ’77, M.A., J.D., Head of School