From the Head of Schools

A Lesson of the Pandemic

SOME PEOPLE CALL ME OLD-FASHIONED. I take it as a major compliment. I marvel at the progress we are making in many aspects of our lives. At the same time, when I try to imagine the future of Webb and the world in a decade or more, I remain convinced that there lies a profound impact and power in core, human interactions.

“Your support has never been more important.”

This pandemic, and all that it has involved, has reaffirmed my belief in the power of family and

(in-person) community. It has reinforced my strong conviction that for this age group – high school – where students are crossing that bridge from adolescence to adulthood, the preeminent experience in teaching and learning is eye to eye, emotional, relational and human.

I also think the pandemic has highlighted the importance of our traditions and the day-to-day flow of our interactions with each other. Chapels, class meetings, community dinners, weekend trips, Peccary Trips, classes and many more formal activities build our collective soul as we progress through the year.

But there are also the “in-between” times where I believe the magic lies in boarding school. The buzz in front of the dining hall before first block; gathering around a field or court just before an athletic event, dance performance or other activities; the smiles of students as they high five walking up chapel hill; the laughter in the dorms and dorm chores just before lights out.

These brief and seemingly small moments in our day are the glue that keeps the family together. They allow us to catch up with each other, maybe tell a joke or just see each other and share a story. It is hard, if not impossible, to see in the moment, but it becomes clear during a senior chapel talk or after students graduate, when they recall how and why Webb impacted their lives.

I am hearing a lot about all we have learned about the power of online learning and living during the past two years. I completely agree. It will forever change and improve many aspects of our lives. The power of online interaction is just now becoming fully understood in terms of information flow, workflow and efficiencies in pretty much every industry and component of our lives.

Education is no exception, and major disruption is indeed afoot. I do think traditional mid-level liberal arts colleges will struggle mightily in the coming decade to maintain their viability, and many shifts, mergers and downright closures are ahead of us. The same is true for schools, including some boarding schools, I’m afraid.

Because of this, it is more imperative now than ever that we as a community do two things simultaneously:

1) Double down on our values and the types of activities and programming that give our students real experiences which build their confidence in taking that next step in their lives to become productive, strong, fulfilled adults, and

2) Embrace the future of teaching and learning by taking full advantage of who we are (unbounded thinkers from the very beginning) and where we are (on the front porch of the greater Southern California area) to give every student unparalleled experiences.

These are not mutually exclusive goals. They are what makes Webb the place it is. We are always on that time spiral Ray Alf used in his classroom nearly 90 years ago. We are eternally grounded by our community core while having the moral courage to change and adapt to ensure we are creating that optimal place for students to learn the skills and habits of mind to foster lives of impact and purpose, and to become leaders in a global economy.

For our alumni, especially, your support has never been more important. Spread the word, come back and visit, ask questions, provide perspectives. Because this is our Webb … our family.

Taylor B. Stockdale Head of Schools