Head’s Note

From the

HEAD OF SCHOOL

Dear Friends,

I write this note to you as we prepare for Convocation, our opening school event that begins a series of “lasts” for me in this, my final year at Westridge. The year is, in many ways, different than I had anticipated while looking ahead to the end of my tenure, but the school is very much where I had hoped it would be. It is different in that we continue to face uncertainty with the pandemic. The situation is much improved from the darkest days of the winter, but safety protocols remain in place and continue to shift with the course of the virus. But I had hoped to leave Westridge strong and in a period of innovation and progress, and we are indeed there. Despite the pandemic—and in some ways because of our experiences during remote learning—we are thinking deeply about what constitutes truly meaningful learning in today’s world. We are taking significant steps to evolve our curriculum and expand our work in social emotional wellness and diversity, equity, and inclusion. This work started with our 2020 Strategic Plan, but you will see in this edition of Surgere that the pandemic advanced it in unexpected ways. While I am not ready to leave Westridge, and always believe that one commits fully until the very last moment which thankfully won’t be until next July, I am ready and eager to continue the conversations we are having around curriculum, pedagogy, anti-racism, and so many topics that make real differences in the education and lives of Westridge students. I wrote in the Winter 2021 edition of Surgere of how we were surviving the pandemic and retained the essence of Westridge while remote due to the care and perseverance of our community. It is that care and support that allows and, in fact demands, that Westridge progress and evolve, so that each generation of students will have an equally powerful personal and educational experience at Westridge—one that is relevant to their future.

And so, I say—bring on my “lasts!” Because that means we are moving forward together.

Surgere!

Elizabeth J. McGregor Head of School