Head of Schools

From the Head of Schools

In June, we graduated not one, but two senior classes on campus, the Class of 2020 and the Class of 2021.

It is the first time ever for such an occurrence and, in the case of the Class of 2020, it was the first combined ceremony of the Webb School of California and Vivian Webb School. Yes, there were masks and social distancing, and many joined us remotely, but even that couldn’t detract from the pure joy of celebrating students once again on our campus. We honored our promise to celebrate all our students, and both classes have my profound respect and admiration for what they have been through.

“ As I write to you today, our school is brimming with the energy of 400 young, curious, vivacious students and a grateful faculty and staff who are here to nurture and care for them.”

Our 99th school year was not easy for anyone and, perhaps because of that, there is much to celebrate. The students and their families demonstrated amazing resilience, determination and fortitude. When I fi rst joined Webb in the late 1980s as a young educator eager to embrace Webb’s culture, I asked one of the recently retired master teachers, Ramsay Harris, what made Webb special. Ramsay taught at Webb from 1945 through 1987 and lived on the campus for several years after retiring. He shared with me that one of Webb’s most distinctive characteristics was the fi ghting heart – the drive to overcome challenges through hard work, integrity and focus. This past year, Webb’s fi ghting heart was on full display. Starting the summer before the school year, the faculty prepared to deliver an exceptional Webb education in a virtual world. They modifi ed courses and curricula. They developed domestic and international schedules, which required instruction in the daytime and at night. They centered on the student experience and repeatedly adapted to feedback. Behind it all, the administration and staff worked tirelessly to create, amend and recreate strategic plans to accommodate changing conditions and health mandates. Through it all, we have benefi ted from the incredible gift of time and talent by Webb’s Medical Advisory Board. And with me every step of the way have been Dr. Theresa Smith and Mrs. Janet Peddy, among many, many others. The school year would not have been possible without their expertise. This report celebrates the donors who allow Webb to thrive.

This year, like many institutions, we had a major budgetary defi cit to fi ll. At the outset of the year, we thought that even after The Webb Fund and other fundraising, we would come up short and need to draw on reserves to off set the defi cit. I’m proud to say that after an extraordinary unrestricted challenge gift of $2.1 million, and many other generous gifts from legions of alumni, parents and friends, we were made whole. When the books offi cially closed on June 30, we had built the bridge over this unfathomable year in true Webb fashion, with the spirit and fi ghting heart that Ramsay described to me 34 years ago. Even as we completed this important work to ensure success in the present, we have also been building a vision for The Next 100, Webb’s second century. I fi rmly believe that the lessons we learned during the pandemic strengthened our resolve and empowered us to continue innovating in exciting ways, building local and global partnerships and thinking about unbounded education.

As I write to you today, our school is brimming with the energy of 400 young, curious, vivacious students and a grateful faculty and staff who are here to nurture and care for them. We may not be completely free from the health and safety precautions necessary to run the school in-person, but we are here with a fi ghting heart and ready to tackle the challenges ahead. That has always been the culture here and it always will be. Sincerely yours,

Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools