Head’s Message

Eleventh graders stop for a post-hike lunch on a hillside dairy farm 2300 meters above sea level outside of Santa Maria de Dota, Costa Rica. Packer’s International Symposium program is designed to ensure that every student has the opportunity to travel abroad at no additional cost. In Costa Rica, students learn about and work with community-based development efforts in rural areas.

This year, as the pandemic recedes, we are committed to the core work of our school. How do we teach now, and how do we prepare all Packer students to become, in the words of our vision statement, “engaged members of an interconnected and dynamic world?“

Throughout last school year, dozens of people representing every constituency at Packer engaged in the project of developing a new strategic vision, Learning Together. I was pleased to introduce this adaptable, responsive new framework this past fall.

Why did we undertake the exercise of developing a strategic framework? To affirm what we stand for as an educational community. To establish the parameters for providing an excellent education for our students. To embed our commitment to diversity and equity directly in our vision and strategic priorities. And to hold ourselves accountable for our intentions and our actions.

The name Learning Together was chosen intentionally to highlight the communal aspect of a Packer education. Collaboration is an essential and distinctive feature of our approach. I often remind colleagues that when we talk about a “community of learners,” we mean both students and adults. The priorities laid out in Learning Together reflect a belief that transformative education and growth result not from didacticism, but from a process of continuously learning from one another, reflecting and refining along the way.

In the fall, I had the pleasure of co-hosting an interactive evening to introduce Learning Together to families. I asked attendees to share some examples of where they see Packer’s mission, vision, and values—scholarship, creativity, equity, integrity, joy, and respect—alive in our school:

I see respect embodied in the way teachers interact with, encourage and support students. They serve as wonderful examples for their students.

Middle Schoolers are mutually supportive. The equity and joy aspects of the values are alive and well.

In the Garden: joy and inclusivity!

We also surveyed Middle and Upper School students about their experiences at Packer, and began to see a pattern. The sense of a supportive community emerged as a central aspect of what students value:

I feel a really strong sense of community and I think that most of my teachers are really passionate about their subjects. (Grade 12)

Packer has a community that supports each other but is also not afraid to hold itself and individuals within it accountable, and I love that. (Grade 11)

The relationship between teachers and students is very positive and transparent. (Grade 11)

Packer does a good job of being inclusive for different students with different identities. (Grade 8)

The teachers are excellent and very supportive and actually care about me learning. (Grade 8)

Everyone is very welcoming to anyone new and is very kind to them, inviting them into things. (Grade 6)

When we asked faculty and staff about the most positive aspects of working at Packer, similar themes emerged:

A strong sense of community and shared mission.

I love the community at Packer and appreciate the anti-racism work that we’ve done and continue to do. Great collaboration between students and adults.

The people and culture—a workplace I look forward to participating in and fosters a sense of belonging.

The community vibe. So many interesting people to talk to and to collaborate with. Bounce ideas around with. I have heard from many who have left that Packer is special.

To be sure, we also asked everyone about where Packer could improve, and many offered deeply thoughtful and valuable feedback on opportunities for growth. Our work continues to ensure that a sense of belonging is broadly shared by all students, faculty, staff, families, and alumni. But as we emerge from a period of historic disconnection, I take heart in hearing so many attest that they feel part of a community at Packer. Even while we strive for continuous improvement, it is important to recognize and reflect upon what we do well.

This and future issues of The Packer Magazine will share stories about how our community lives out our mission, vision, and values. “Learning Together” identifies three priority areas for the coming years: Learn, Connect, and Advance. In the magazine, we’ll use these focus areas to look at a range of student engagement in and outside our classrooms, mark the ways and places where our community comes together, and talk about the steps we are taking to build organizational resilience and support educational excellence over the long term. Enjoy these portraits of learning together at Packer.

Jennifer Weyburn Head of School