July 5, 2023
END OF YEAR MESSAGE
Good afternoon.
As we come from a tremendous Education Week, we reached the end of another successful year at Maplebrook School. Conferences with faculty/staff were positive and productive, the virtual prom was something we will always remember, and we ended with a beautiful commencement ceremony. Our graduates carry with them shared values, knowledge, and lasting relationships they gained during their time together at Maplebrook.
In reflecting back on my first year as head of school, I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. We had our challenges, but faced them together as a community, which gave us the strength to forge ahead. I learned to follow my heart and intuition as it pertains to what is best for the school and our students. This was especially true with the onset of a pandemic – I learned to persevere in the face of adversity. I learned to let go of what is familiar and expand our horizons. The result was an unparalleled second semester that helped us learn new skills, communicate better with each other and allowed us to come together in a positive way. During these strange times, we all have needed courage in some form and I have been very proud of the whole Maplebrook community this year for our courage, perseverance, spirit of adventure and support for one another.
I extend my thanks to our whole community. I appreciate all the hard work of the Board of Trustees and the Directors of the Maplebrook School Foundation, who have been supportive every step of the way. I am grateful to my administrative team for their teamwork and dedication to the school. The faculty have been a joy to work with, especially as they tackled the challenging task of reinventing themselves. As I have mentioned many times before, our students are second to none and I thank the families for taking this unusual journey with Maplebrook this year.
I am looking forward to having the students back on campus as soon as possible with a new appreciation for our relationship and how important the magic of Maplebrook is to all of us.
Again, many thanks. Be happy, healthy and safe.
Jenn Scully