A Place to Belong is brought to you by Shady Hill’s Communications and Advancement Offices in collaboration with the Alumni Board. Now, more than ever, we are committed to sharing news that reminds us all how vibrant and innovative Shady Hill continues to be, while forever embracing the mission and values you hold so dear.
The Communications and Advancement Offices and the Alumni Board
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Dear SHS community,
I am proud to announce that going forward, Shady Hill will use the non-gendered word "alum" in place of the binary terms "alumnus" and "alumna." The plural "alumni" covers everyone, so we will continue to use it, but the singular form has been problematic, as saying "alumnus/alumna" excludes those who identify as gender-nonconforming or nonbinary. The Alumni Board and the Shady Hill Alumni Office together came to the unanimous, enthusiastic decision to adopt "alum" as the singular form. We hope that replacing the either/or words "alumnus" and "alumni" with "alum" will underscore our commitment to inclusiveness, making all feel welcome and seen!
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Elizabeth Z. (Betsy) Ginsberg
Director of Alumni Relations and Development
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A Peek into Classrooms: Grade VIII
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In the days that followed the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Shady Hill students in nearly all grades discussed the riot and its implications, helped and supported by their teachers. In Grade VIII, where the Central Subject is Democracy and Immigration in America, students had a great deal of foundational understanding to draw on as they held their class discussions. Students in the Kelly Davidson/Nandini Roy section were well-versed in considering questions of 'Whose story is being told? Who is telling it? How else could it be told?' as well as, 'How do we balance being individuals with being members of a group?' — all questions at the forefront of the January 6 events.
They wrote poetry in response to an array of powerful photos of the riot. We are pleased that many students granted us permission to share their poems here — with the caveat that we emphasize that these poems did not undergo the usual workshopping process.
One resulting poem, by Sophia C. is above; click here to read others.
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A Peek into Classrooms: Grade III
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In the spirit of honoring Martin Luther King Day, students in Grace Wettach's Grade III class created a board of dreams - ranging from stopping COVID-19 to equal rights for all.
After they added their inspiring dreams to the board, the class then voted on a service learning project to engage in that they felt would have the biggest impact on their community. The winning vote was to run a food and diaper drive for those in need in Middlesex county. The diaper and food drive was an enormous success, netting 550 food items and about 2,000 individual diapers. Parent volunteers helped deliver the donated groceries to a food pantry and the diapers to a shelter, under the direction of librarian Susanna Paterson, who coordinates service learning projects in the Lower School.
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This year, Cambridge’s Many Helping Hands MLK Day of Service, which many Shady Hill families have participated in the past, went virtual. Several individuals signed up to do service projects in a COVID-safe way. Still, there was a need for more help, and Shady Hill students and teachers rose to the challenge!
Students in both Lower School and Middle School participated in a week of service, January 25 to 29, working on a variety of different projects.
During this week, Shady Hill students:
- Made valentines for health care workers
- Wrote letters to homebound senior citizens with the program Letters Against Isolation
- Decorated fleece blankets and scarves for youth and adults facing homelessness
- Packed nearly 600 personal care kits to go to teens and adults facing homelessness
Click here for a photo gallery of students working on their projects.
Click here to check out some of the students’ "Letters Against Isolation."
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This year running a school with COVID-19 related expenses has stretched the budget tremendously. We are counting on the entire community to add their support to our efforts. Your gifts to the Shady Hill Fund, in any size that is meaningful to you, enable the School to operate in-person during a global pandemic. Thank you for extending your generosity to where it is needed most at Shady Hill.
Please make your gift here today!
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Historic Flag is Gifted to Shady Hill's Archives |
The Shady Hill archives is now home to a unique artifact: the flag that was carried to the summit of Denali in July 1967, by then-Science Department Chair Will Phillips, on an expedition that made headlines by getting caught out in the worst storm in the mountain's history. A mountaineer friend of Will's invited him to be part of a 12-climber group that would mark Alaska's centennial by climbing its highest mountain — highest on the entire North American continent — as three separate teams, taking three separate routes. Will said, "I carried a lightweight Shady Hill flag, which art teacher Clare Walker had silkscreened for me, and I flew the flag on the mountain's summit, just long enough for the photo you see here. To say we encountered bad weather on that trip would be an understatement; a ferocious storm pinned us in our tents for eight solid days. We stayed safe but a different climbing party got caught out in the storm and seven men lost their lives — which remains the deadliest disaster in North American mountaineering. Why did we survive and not they? I've finally written a book about this, and have donated a copy to the Shady Hill library.”
Will's book makes for fascinating reading, recounting the 120-foot fall he took on the descent, which left him with a broken ankle. "We got to a spot where we could set up a tent and stayed two days waiting for the swelling to go down. We had gas [to melt snow] for water, but our food supply was not so great: we had just one Hershey bar between us. We ate a square for each meal, very ceremoniously, and then we started down....I [had] very unsure footing and Boyd kept saying to me 'Don't worry, I got you, you're secure, everything's okay.' In the five days it took to get down, there wasn't a single negative word out of his mouth. Later, after we had made it, he said, 'You know when I was telling you I had you, I didn't. If you'd slipped, we would have both gone.' That's how I began to understand that having faith can help you get through something."
Such an apt lesson for hard times. We salute Will's determination and positive outlook, as we welcome the flag and book into Shady Hill's archival collection.
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May Day of Giving 2021 Is Nearly Here |
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Save the date for #MayDayofGiving on May 12, 2021! A century old tradition to celebrate spring also allows us to celebrate bringing our community back for in-person learning, and to celebrate teachers who have gone above and beyond. Together we can make gifts to the Shady Hill Fund, the School's primary annual giving vehicle.
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Shady Hill Black History Assembly |
In the 30-year history of Shady Hill’s Black History Assembly, 2021 marks the first-ever virtually-formatted assembly. This year’s theme, “Black Histories, Black Presents, and Black Futures” continued a student-led tradition of raising awareness of the rich contributions of Black people. It also served to shine a light on today’s struggles and the hope and determination we feel as we strive for a more equitable and inclusive future.
“Now more than ever, Black people, non-Black people of color, and white co-conspirators must work together to dismantle systemic racism and to create change. We know this work is never finished and requires our continued focus and commitment,” said Head of School Mark Stanek as he opened the program.
Following Mark’s remarks, students, employees, and guest speaker and renowned storyteller Len Cabral honored the achievements and contributions of Black people in the U.S. and the world through music, stories, poems, experiences, and contributions.
Performances included:
You can rewatch the entire Assembly here.
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Valentine's Day Cards to Shady Hill Teachers |
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This year, the Alumni Office inaugurated a new Valentine's Day tradition: inviting graduates from across the decades to write heartfelt notes to Shady Hill teachers who made a lasting impact on them. About 65 alumni participated in the first-ever valentine campaign, lifting the spirits of faculty in this most demanding of years. Messages from recent alumni included: |
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I have so much to be grateful for that you and Shady Hill have given me...Whenever I face a new challenge, I find that you have prepared me well to succeed. (Class of 2017 alum)
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Just wanted to reach out and share my appreciation for your unconditional support, patience and dedication to our class. You really shaped my time at Shady Hill and I hope you’re doing well. (Class of 2019 alum)
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Retired faculty received a significant share of valentines, including: |
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I will always treasure your creativity, humor and joy! You opened my eyes to the world of paint. (Class of 1984 alum)
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Thinking of you today, and so grateful I had you as a teacher back in 7th and 8th grade. I don't know exactly what you did, but because of your class studying Mandarin became one of my biggest passions. (Class of 2010 alum)
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Thank you for instilling confidence in me that has lasted over 30 years! (Class of 1998 alum)
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Nothing lifts the spirits of hardworking teachers more than hearing from grateful former students. If you did not participate this year, you'll have another chance next Valentine's Day; this initiative is destined to become an annual tradition. |
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Save the Date for Reunion |
The 2021 Shady Hill School Reunion will take place Friday, June 4. Alumni are invited to get together for the All-Alumni Assembly and then split off into class-specific Zoom socials. Check back here for more information in the weeks to come. Are you in a class year ending in a '1' or a '6' and willing to help organize your class's Zoom social? Please contact alumni@shs.org to volunteer!
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Are you following the Shady Hill Alumni Spotlight series on social media? We welcome nominations of inspiring alumni to feature whether their work relates to the medical response to COVID, its economic fallout, or the fight for social justice, email your suggestions to [email protected] or submit your nominations here.
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