Message to the Tower Hill Community Nov. 25, 2013

Harry Baetjer, Acting Head of School
At Tower Hill, we have been and will continue to be devoted to children -- their well-being, their successes and their futures. That commitment goes beyond our own students to children outside of our community. In response to the broader issues of child abuse that were raised by the recent events, our faculty and administration have been exploring appropriate and positive ways to support child advocacy. At the same time, we have heard from individuals in our community who have approached the setback as an opportunity, not only to keep the school strong but to move it forward.
 
One parent who has stepped up to help build solidarity and bring the school together is Tom Schorn, parent of 10th grader Christopher and 12th grader Thomas. The support of him and Karol is beyond what we could have dreamed. Below is the message I received from Tom earlier in the month:
 
"I think as we all learned from the Penn State debacle, first and foremost children have to be put first no matter the issues the institution has to deal with. I think we should and can have a model response to the situation. If our community can come together in this cause, we not only will be helping children avoid and cope with this horrendous activity, it will also bring our school and community together in a time of strife, confusion and anger. There is a lot of good that can be done, and we can do it together."
 
Passionate about the prevention of child abuse, Tom and Karol have committed to raise $50,000 for Darkness to Light, the parent organization for Stewards of Children which we are evaluating as a resource for the school. In addition, they have invited our community to join in supporting this organization, and they will match up to $10,000 in donations from our community. If you would like to donate, please make checks payable to Darkness to Light and mail to: Thomas Schorn, 1398 Wilmington Pike, West Chester, PA 19382.
 
We cannot thank Tom enough for his generosity and his willingness to match contributions from our community.
 
In addition to supporting Darkness to Light, we have identified other opportunities for our community to get actively involved in child advocacy through events and partnerships. The Lower School will be participating in a holiday toy drive for foster children in cooperation with the Family Services Division of the Attorney General's office, which has been so supportive of Tower Hill during the past month. A much larger effort for involvement in child advocacy is scheduled for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20, 2014. Look for more details soon regarding these in-school activities.
 
I want to express again my deep appreciation to Tom and Karol for their generosity and willingness to include Tower Hill in their efforts. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, they have given us another reason to be thankful.
 
Sincerely,
 
Harry Baetjer
Acting Head of School
 
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