Dear Colleagues,
This week has felt like a bit of an emotional roller coaster. The start of Hanukkah and the countdown to Christmas and our holiday recess are often a time of celebration and high energy. The violence last weekend on multiple fronts did not feel very joyous. The tragic school shooting that took the life of two Brown University students felt very close to home, not just geographically, but because we know we have Wellesley students currently enrolled there and many of our seniors are starting to receive their own college admission decisions. In Australia, 15 people were killed while attending a Hanukkah event at Bondi Beach, marking yet another moment of antisemitic violence. In California, actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife were murdered, which was followed by a shocking lack of empathy by our President. I hate to think that any of these events have become normalized and I fear the impact these moments are having on our students and school community. In short, my cup felt empty to start the week.
Fast forward to Thursday night, when I attended the WHS Winter Choral Concert. At the opening, Dr. McDonald encouraged everyone to be fully present, leave the rest of our worries outside, and simply embrace the moment and the music. The very first song was “O, Holy Night,” which began with a smaller number of choral singers on stage, who were gradually joined by more choral students who filled the aisles. Their collective voices amplified the power of this beautiful song and filled the auditorium with an emotional resonance that my description here can’t fully reflect. With tears in my eyes, I was trying to understand why I felt so deeply impacted by this performance and I quickly realized that moments such as this of profound humanity and connection have become more infrequent in our lives. It’s often said that music has the power to transport us and, last night, our students transported an auditorium filled with members of our community to a better place and for that, I am grateful.
This is my last bulletin before the winter recess next week and 2025 comes to a close. However you spend the break, I hope it is a time filled with family, friends, and love. Please know how privileged I feel to work among such talented and committed colleagues. You make a difference in the lives of students every day. Have a well-deserved winter break and I look forward to welcoming you back in 2026.
Cheers!
David
