Letter from Head of School Ken Aldridge

Homecoming is always a time of reflection for

me, more so this year as I remembered one year ago when the fields were empty, the halls quiet, reunions on Zoom. This made it even more special when we were able to welcome home so many friends for our Homecoming 2021 festivities. In an email to our community before Winter Break, I reflected on the joy that has been palpable on campus this year. Nowhere was that joy more obvious than at Homecoming.

On the Friday, October 25, we welcomed back our alumni from the class of 1971 celebrating their 50th reunion, joyous that they were able to gather with classmates and friends from as far away as Maine, Tennessee, Missouri, Florida, North Carolina, and Alabama. We spoke about how much has changed at Friends since their graduation, but also realized how much has also stayed the same. In an editorial from the Whittier Miscellany in June 1971, the editorial staff wrote, “It is impossible sufficiently to stress the importance of having a valid opinion, especially now when the voice of youth is rising by leaps and bounds both in protest and in whole-hearted participation in governmental functions. To be left ‘out of it’ because of ignorance is inexcusable. Although the day appears very remote, this generation will eventually hold the reins of government in its hands; it is therefore our responsibility to accustom ourselves to the proper use of power.”

As I told the Class of 1971, I could take that same paragraph and place it in this month’s Whittier Miscellany and it would still be relevant, 50 years later. We continue to encourage our students to face the realities of the world they are about to enter, to be involved, to advocate for change. While each of the Quaker testimonies holds a place of importance in our community, every year as a school we focus on a particular testimony. This year that testimony is peace. We have challenged our students, faculty, parents, and friends to recognize how peace can grow in our school, in our homes, and in our hearts.

Homecoming weekend continued and groups of students, still so genuinely happy to be together, could be seen all throughout campus. All of our athletic contests were won. We ran the 25th annual Smith McMillan, and this feeling of joy, and peace, continued to surround us as we gathered for Meeting for Worship and a conversation with former faculty member Rick Grier-Reynolds. It was beautiful to witness our community being back together. Thank you to everyone who made Homecoming 2021 the success it was. We hold those who could not make the trip to be with us in our thoughts, and hope they can come “home” again soon.

We have much to look forward to for the remainder of the year, including our focus on the peace testimony. We continue to work through the challenges brought our way by a pandemic. These times are far from normal, but I can assure you that Wilmington Friends School has continued to offer the same quality education, with enriching arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities - in person. This is something not many schools, if any, can say, and I’d like to take a moment to recognize our incredible faculty who made this possible. Who reimagined, pivoted, and made it happen.

In friendship,

OF NOTE...

Ken was recently accepted into the Headmaster's Association and will be one of ten new inductees this year. Membership is kept at 100 Heads of School/Superintendents from across the country. It offers peer-to-peer exchange and development of professional relationships as well as support from fellow Heads of School grappling with similar challenges unique to leading educational institutions in the twentyfirst century. Congratulations, Ken!