From the Head of School —
Dear Prairie Families, It is impossible to sum up the 2019-20 school year in one letter. So much has happened in our school community, our state, our nation, and around the world over the last twelve months. It is a stretch to remember back to last fall, when alumnus Kanwar Singh ’86 addressed the entire community at convocation, playfully and passionately urging another generation of Hawks to tackle the year and “be a verb.” Calling them to action, effort, and adventure — it was an inspiring start to our 55th year. The first half of the year was a blur of normalcy, with another trip to the state soccer finals and two glorious performances of “Into the Woods” before our campus closed in March.
“Amidst uncertainty and unforeseen new challenges, our students and faculty showed strength, collaboration, tenacity, and most of all resilience.”
Amidst uncertainty and unforeseen new challenges, our students and faculty showed strength, collaboration, tenacity, and most of all resilience, which allowed us to successfully pivot to virtual learning and find new ways to strengthen the fabric of our community. We learned that this is one tough group. Collectively, we have not let anything stand in the way of continuing our mission. As you’ll read in this issue, this past year we accomplished what we set out to do every year and then some. The Class of 2020 finished their Prairie careers with poise and class, and carry that with them as they leave for some of the finest colleges and universities in the country. A record number of students took Advanced Placement exams, and together they achieved our second highest average score in the last seven years. Across all classes, students maintained outstanding virtual attendance and finished the academic year with grit, grace, and in many cases, improved final grades. The first virtual versions of both Primary School Field Day and the Prairie Premiere proved rousing successes thanks to many of you reading this right now. In June, we broke ground on a new Early School building, set to open in 2021, and we reopened campus on July 6th to host five weeks of summer camps, serving over 300 campers. Success as a result of resilience has long been the norm at Prairie, and this spring, through tremendous effort, our tradition continued, manifesting itself in new and unique ways. As we dive into the fall, I know our faculty and students will be able to navigate whatever comes our way this school year — and that we will be able to count on our fellow Prairie families, alumni, and friends. The past six months have shown that we are #BetterTogether and that collectively, we will find a way to move Prairie’s mission forward in the years ahead. Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Nathaniel W. Coffman, Ed.D. Head of School & President
