UPFRONT H
ow exciting it was to welcome our Bears back to campus in September, exactly six months since the School was ordered to close campus last spring for what we thought was a two-week pause of in-person learning. Whether our students returned in person or online, the spirit of our Baldwin sisterhood and the sense of community that comes with being together was incredible. I know that our faculty and staff felt the same way. The 2020-2021 school year has been quite a journey. I am grateful for the unwavering efforts of our faculty and staff to help our students return to school and give them a sense of normalcy amidst a worldwide pandemic. These past months have been a testament to Baldwin’s resiliency, resourcefulness and commitment to our mission and each other. The re-opening of school was a Herculean effort on the part of many community members. I invite you to read all about it on pages 4-5 and, throughout this issue of Echoes, to see examples of how we creatively reimagined classes, co-curriculars, special events, traditions and more.
Our Cover Story provides an update on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) work underway at Baldwin. This work reflects Baldwin’s commitment to building a space that allows our students to be empowered, validated, seen and heard and to celebrating our community, which is a wonderful mix of cultures, people and perspectives. We embrace each person as a unique individual, recognizing our differences and commonalities – and, as a school commmunity we stand against racism and acts of hate in any way, shape or form. This belief is central to our mission as educators committed to shaping young women prepared to make a lasting impact on the world. It reflects our core values of respect, honesty, compassion, responsibility and learning, our community's desire to continually do better and our belief that today's Baldwin girls are the future agents of change that will create a more just world for all. As you will see in this article, Baldwin’s work to support these values and beliefs includes a range of programs for students, faculty, staff, parents and alums, plus new initiatives focused on systemic change under the leadership of Ms. Stephanie Allen, who joined our Leadership Team as Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I am grateful to so many members of our community, including parents and alums from across the generations, who have partnered with us in these critical conversations. This issue of Echoes marks one year since Baldwin was ordered to close campus due to the pandemic. It provides a glimpse into all the ways that we have worked to meet the challenges facing our school community – from different modes of teaching and learning and COVID-related health and safety protocols to important conversations about race, equity and inclusion on campus and outside of Baldwin’s gates. I hope you join me in the shared sense of purpose and pride for all our community has done and will continue to do in support of Baldwin’s students and mission. Marisa Porges ’96, PhD Head of School facebook.com/marisaporges Instagram: @MarisaPorges Twitter: @MarisaPorges
SPRING 2021 ECHOES
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