Head's Weekly Message — March 19, 2021

Dear Mayfield Senior School Parents,

 

It has been absolutely wonderful to have so many of our students back on campus this week.  On Wednesday, our Sophomores and Seniors were so happy to see one another and hear about our reopening plans and protocols. Our Seniors were especially pleased to be introduced to their outdoor “lounge” in Cornelia’s Courtyard. It was a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

 

Yesterday, I was so inspired by our Juniors as they began their two-day retreat. The joy, optimism and hope they are expressing is very renewing for me. They give us great confidence that even after such a challenging year we know that their leadership and spirit will see us through to the end. I’m so looking forward to the celebration of their Ring Ceremony with their parents at an outdoor liturgy this afternoon. It will be such a special way to honor the Class of 2022.

 

I want to thank all of you who attended our “Back to Bellefontaine” town hall yesterday. I hope we answered all your questions—you can find the video of the meeting on our COVID webpage. We will be sending out cohort assignments next week indicating your daughter’s placement in either the Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday group. We are working hard to balance each section, making sure that sisters are together. In the meantime, if you haven’t already done so, please complete the Hybrid/Remote survey at your earliest convenience.

 

I also want to congratulate our amazing Admissions team of Merilisa Ramirez and Jade Stewart ’09 for all their creativity, hard work, and dedication during this very difficult year. Our applicant numbers were up 10% from last year, and we are thrilled to announce that the Mayfield Senior School Class of 2025 is complete—filled with an extremely talented group of wonderful girls. Thank you, parents, for all you did to support our efforts—they certainly paid off!

 

Finally, I want to send a message of solidarity, as the recent attacks on the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Atlanta have been weighing heavily on my mind. In the wake of these horrendous murders, we must acknowledge the alarming rise of violence directed against members of the AAPI community nationwide. This has taken place in person and online, involving verbal and physical attacks, and much of this abuse has been inflicted on AAPI elders, immigrants and other vulnerable members of our society. We condemn these heinous acts of bigotry and hate in the strongest terms.

 

The way women were targeted in this attack is especially upsetting to our community. As a school nurturing female leadership, we also acknowledge the dangers of systemic oppression that women in this country have endured and condemn the violence enacted upon them.

 

Mayfield Senior School stands against hate in all forms. As a community of faith, we reject all actions that aim to dehumanize others. The incarnational spirituality of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus celebrates the way that God lives within all of us, which is a constant reminder of our moral obligation to extend dignity and respect to every member of our human family while working to promote anti-racism and justice throughout our community.

 

Especially during this very challenging year we know that fears and anxieties can be triggered by acts of violence. We remind parents and students that they are always welcome to speak to our School Counselor, Cristina Perez, about any concerns that might be coming up. If you’d prefer not to reach out through the school, Ms. Perez recommends using:

Cassandra Gonzales and Sarah Briuer Boland, Co-Directors of our Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion office, always welcome outreach from students too. In addition, they collected these resources below for students and our extended community as well. Please consider visiting these Instagram accounts and websites:

I know that you join me in prayer as we hold all victims of violence and those suffering from fear and oppression in the Light.

 

With Love and Gratitude,