Head of School's Message — Summer 2021

Because of our mission and the inspiring educational philosophy and vision of our beloved founder, Cornelia Connelly, everything we do at Mayfield Senior School is done with the powerful belief that God is an active presence in our lives. We believe that God works in us and through us as we seek to honor that divine presence in others—embracing and celebrating our differences as we know that, fundamentally, we share the same beautiful divine spark. 

 

In a normal year, Holy Child educators assume a huge responsibility to live this vision, and this year it has been more vital than ever. While mastering a whole new way of teaching to keep our students engaged and motivated remotely, our Mayfield faculty did much more—they helped their students feel loved and connected, even through a computer screen.

 

Because of the commitment and dedication of our faculty, our students were empowered to tackle new ways of learning. They also gained the confidence to forge creative ways to be of service to others by making hundreds of lunches every week for those in need through our Loaves and Fishes program, and by tutoring and mentoring students remotely both in our community and across the country. Our students went way above and beyond—with grit and resilience, they stayed engaged, hopeful and joyful, which inspired me every day.

 

I’ve also been so inspired by the generosity of our community, whose commitment to our mission allowed us to continue to support our incredible students. In this challenging year, we provided tuition assistance to 45% of our student body and, despite the economic strains, we did not lose a single family.

 

It was our mission that also gave us the strength and confidence to welcome our students back to 500 Bellefontaine in April. We crammed an enormous amount into these last two months, making up for a lot of lost time together—retreats, ring ceremonies, the mother-daughter senior tea, a car parade, an outdoor movie night and senior sunrise, and prom (albeit without boys!). Finally, last weekend, this whirlwind of on-campus events culminated with our traditional senior celebrations—a beautiful Baccalaureate Mass and senior awards ceremony on Saturday, June 5, followed by a stunning graduation ceremony on Sunday, June 6, which filled me with tremendous joy and hope.

 

I want to recognize the Class of 2021 in a very special way. Throughout this extremely challenging year they provided such courageous and creative leadership—sustaining and inspiring all of us. We send this class forth with all our love and great confidence that they will bring their gifts of generosity, empathy and resilience into the world. 

 

We also bid a very fond farewell to several faculty and staff members who have made such a positive impact on our community. School Counselor Cristina Perez, College Counselor Samantha Pieper, and Spanish teacher Nalei Guzman are all leaving Mayfield to pursue exciting new endeavors. 

 

Finally, we recognize the amazing service of three devoted Mayfield faculty members who are retiring. We thank Helen Wade for touching countless Mayfield students by helping them understand the importance of fitness and wellness in their daily lives. We thank Paul Tzanetopoulos (“Mr. T”) for inspiring a generation of Mayfield Senior School artists and his fellow educators. And, although Frank Karl will continue to teach part-time and share his musical talents with our community, we thank him for helping our students explore their own faith, and the faiths of others, for the last 20 years.

It is with a heart full of gratitude that I thank these amazing educators and our entire community for their support through these difficult times. I pray that we all have a restful, healthy and joy-filled summer.

With Love and Gratitude,

Kate Morin