UPFRONT W
hile the 2020-21 school year was like no other, I’m proud to say that Baldwin led the way. Through a year of challenges, our community came together to support our students, faculty, staff and families — ensuring that we provided our Bears the best possible education while nurturing their personal passions and cultivating their sense of sisterhood, even amidst a worldwide pandemic.
From the start of the COVID-19 crisis, Baldwin committed to safeguarding the health of the community, first and foremost, and to the delivery of the Baldwin program in the most complete way possible. To fulfill these aims and support our community throughout, we applied an “only at Baldwin” level of creativity, flexibility and highly collaborative problem solving to everything that we did. Learn more about how the pandemic shaped Baldwin's present and future on pages 14-15. While we could not come together on campus for our Classes of Red reunion, we were excited to gather alumnae from across the generations for a number of Back-to-Baldwin virtual events this spring. Highlights included a Mindfulness Lunch and Learn with Pax Tandon ’96, the chance to join fellow alums for a night of fun and trivia, and a Paint and Sip class with Lower School Art Teacher, Andre Teixeira. In addition, there was a moving ceremony to honor our 2021 Alumnae Award winners Farah Jasmine Griffin ’81, Binney Connell Wietlisbach ’81, and Anjelika Paranjpe Temple ’01. It was wonderful to have so many of alumnae join us for these special moments and for reunion class gatherings, too. It was my 25th year reunion as well, and the Class of 1996 had a fantastic time catching up on Zoom! Read more about the reunion events and amazing 2021 Alumnae Award winners on pages 22-25. As we approached the spring, I was thrilled that we could celebrate Baldwin’s Class of 2021 with a poignant in-person ceremony held under a tent on campus. This Class of Red, finishing their high school careers in the midst of a global pandemic, proved they are a lively and accomplished group. In addition to their daily moments of pride in and out of class, these 63 amazing young women earned 248 acceptances from 149 colleges and universities throughout the country, and were collectively offered more than $1.8 million in merit-based scholarships. What’s more, they brought a unique blend of fun and kindness to our Schoolhouse. Although Commencement marks the start of a new chapter for our Seniors, we know these resilient Baldwin Bears are prepared to make significant and lasting contributions wherever they head next. As Ava Olson ’21 shared during her Commencement speech, “If there’s anything our [Baldwin] years have taught us, it’s that failures are just successes waiting to happen.” With the start of the 2021-22 school year upon us, I am hopeful that the fall will bring a more normal Baldwin experience for all of our Bears. It will still require resilience and flexibility from every member of our Baldwin community, and I appreciate your continued commitment to Baldwin’s mission and our students throughout. Your support ensures that we can provide our Bears the best education and most Baldwin experience possible. Marisa Porges ’96, PhD Head of School facebook.com/marisaporges Instagram: @MarisaPorges Twitter: @MarisaPorges SUMMER 2021 ECHOES
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