Head of School's Letter: Ending Well - June 5, 2026

Dear Families,

The end of a school year is wonderfully untidy. There are canoe trips, parent coffees, student coffee houses, class celebrations, sleepovers, muddy sneakers, proud smiles, and at least a few children carrying home more paper, art projects, and items from the lost and found than any backpack was designed to hold.

And yet, beneath all of that cheerful June commotion, there is a great deal of intention. Just as the beginning of the year is carefully built around helping children feel known, safe, and ready to learn, the end of the year asks us to help them look back, take stock, celebrate, say goodbye, and begin to imagine what comes next. Transitions matter, rituals matter, reflection matters, and joy matters. They are not extras, but are an essential part of the learning itself.

That is what these final days are really about. The rising Grade 5 parent coffee is not just a coffee; it is a bridge. Move Up Day is less about logistics and more about becoming: a new classroom, a new rhythm, a new confidence beginning to take shape. The Helpful Heron Walk, the Art and Design Capstone Exhibit, a final advisory gathering, the Salute to the Class of 2026 all give students a chance to see themselves as part of something larger, and to recognize how much they have grown in relationship with their teachers, classmates, and community.

As we close the year together, I am grateful for the care our faculty and staff bring to this beautiful business of ending well. They know that children do not simply tumble from one grade to the next. They need to be seen across the threshold. We are also incredibly grateful to you for your partnership; thank you for sharing your children with us this year. It has been a joy to watch them learn, stretch, wobble, recover, laugh, lead, and grow.

Warmly,

Lindsay Murphy
Acting Head of School