Notes from the Head of School

In late April we held our 2022 Parents’ Association Auction—our first live extended community event since 2019. The spirit in Brewster Hall reflected how much we all missed celebrating Suffield. We raised funds for upcoming campus projects and to help a student from Ukraine join our community this year. What a gift—making a Suffield Academy experience possible for a talented young person whose life has been forever altered by the tragedy of war.

This issue of SUFFIELD captures stories from the complicated, challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like all organizations, Suffield Academy was tested in new ways. While the period required us to recalibrate and operate in more restrictive ways, Suffield has emerged stronger than ever. How did this happen?

First, our faculty immediately pivoted from the traditional Suffield experience to a new landscape, staying resolutely focused on doing all they could to help our students thrive. The commitment of these talented educators was never more evident than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Second, recent investments in our campus—the new Memorial Building, Brewster Hall, Holcomb Science, Brodie Hall, and Powers Hall—helped keep on-campus programs uninterrupted throughout the pandemic. Expansive space and a limited student enrollment led to no need for hybrid programs or reduced density.

Most importantly, our core philosophy blending encouragement and support with rigor and structure remained unwavering. While the isolation led us all to wonder when we would return to pre-pandemic rituals, our firm agreement on the fundamentals shaped community life. As always at Suffield, each student is needed, known, and cherished. A confluence of factors—clarity of purpose, a faculty resolutely committed to meeting students where they are and helping them travel great distances, and a magnificent program and physical plant—shined during a period when all we knew as true and certain was severely tested.

When Hillary and I began leading Suffield 18 years ago our most fervent goals were to build immense community spirit and help young people navigate adolescence in a genuinely caring environment. We learned again during the past two years that challenging times bring new opportunities—as painful as they may initially seem. Suffield was stress tested in ways we would have never imagined and emerged healthier than ever, making historic contributions to students and families at a pivotal time. Thank you for your collective love of this special school perched atop Bell Hill. d While the isolation led us all to

wonder when we would return

to pre-pandemic rituals, our firm

agreement on the fundamentals

shaped community life. As always

at Suffield, each student is

needed, known, and cherished.