Head of School
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Integrity

Dear Tower Hill families,
 
As our spring sports teams brave the remnants of snow and stubborn temperatures, I have seen signs of daffodils! In the busy weeks leading up to a well-deserved spring break, our teachers and students have been focused on important learning, both in and out of the classroom. Learning excursions to Washington, D.C., New York City and Williamsburg all provide different vistas and require our students to understand their learning in the context of the world around them. It is important that we reassure our children that there are so many different paths to success. Despite what some of them (or even us) may think, there is not one prescribed way to get there!
 
No matter which path our children may take, as parents and educators we want to ensure that they are prepared, passionate and purposeful. In a competitive world in which our children are watching us closely — certainly aware of any anxiety we or our society offer — how do we model the best ways to handle pressure, disappointment, challenge and success? In essence, we want our children to believe in themselves and have the integrity to understand the difference between anxiety and faith. I heard a presenter recently state that, “Anxiety is believing that we know what is going to happen and are not equipped to deal with the challenge. Faith is not knowing what is going to happen and knowing that we are fully equipped to carry on.”
 
With the unfolding admissions scandal in higher education, it seems especially important to double down on our word for the year: integrity. There is no more important quality we can ensure that our children have than integrity. Integrity is not fleeting; instead it is deeply nurtured through the daily rhythms of academics, athletics, arts, leadership and extracurriculars within strong school communities like Tower Hill. While there are no guarantees in life, Tower Hill’s mission is 100 years tried and true. Each year, our seniors come back after spring break realizing that they have all they need to succeed in college and beyond. How does this happen? It happens through Tower Hill’s wonderful daily practice of hard work, high expectations and a close-knit community in which students and teachers get to know each other well, in advisory, homeroom, on the playing field, classroom or eating together in the dining hall.

As we continue to celebrate and practice community at Tower Hill, I am delighted to let you know that after rigorous analysis, study and consideration by the Finance and Buildings and Grounds Committees, the Board of Trustees recently decided to move forward with the Tower Hill Dining Commons, a project that was envisioned more than a year ago as part of our Strategic Plan. The implementation of the Strategic Plan thus far has included substantial investments in programs and people, including increases in faculty salaries, professional development and financial aid — all of which will continue to be priorities. The Dining Commons project entails glassing in the courtyard adjacent to the current dining hall and offers us much-needed agility with academic scheduling across divisions, as well as adequate space for our students and faculty. Similar to the Lower School Experiential Outdoor Classroom completed last fall, the Dining Commons ensures we continue to invest in people and programs, as stated in our Board-approved Strategic Plan. We will certainly provide you with more detail this spring, outlining all the ways our internal facilities team, architects and builders will ensure minimal disruption and optimal safety for our students and community through construction. The Dining Commons is slated to be completed by the fall of 2020, and the current dining hall is not impacted by this project. We wanted you to be among the first to know about this exciting investment in community. It truly will be a signature community space for Tower Hill, providing the very best experience for our students and teachers. We look forward to sharing further with you this spring!
 
Thank you for all the ways you are ensuring that your children are building deep reservoirs of integrity, at home and right here at Tower Hill! Enjoy a restful spring break!
 
Elizabeth C. Speers
Head of School
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