• Sue Sadler

      Head of School

Special Note From The Head:


Over the last six weeks world events once again compel me to affirm our commitment to and celebration of the rich diversity we enjoy here on campus. Just in the last few weeks, we’ve learned from one another about Passover, Easter, Holi, and and the upcoming holy month of Ramadan  so that our children develop compassionate understanding of one another’s faiths and cultural traditions. Our mission challenges us to educate children to be considered and consequential, and we believe that inclusion and empathy are essential in preparing our next generation of citizens. We extend our thoughts and prayers to our Muslim families, our Jewish families and our Christian families who have all recently witnessed tragic attacks on their faiths throughout the world and we mourn the loss of life due to hatred and misunderstanding.

Let each one of us be a light by extending ourselves to our friends and neighbors in the name of love, peace and understanding.  It is in these actions, when we show up and stand up for one another, when we give hope, honor the value of life, and help restore what has been taken away.
 
Spring is the season of renewal! Campus is awash with blooming flowers and sprouting leaves as we enter our final full month of the school year. This is the time of year when changes are most noticeable; our “fall” babies begin to look like toddlers, seniors begin to dress like college students, and in between, students confidently master the objectives of each grade level. Whether they share their learning through events like the fifth grade’s recent performance of The Little Pine Tree,  the upcoming International Bazaar, Vision and Voice project presentations, or put the finishing touches on their AP classes and research projects, we notice just how much growth has happened over the year. What a privilege it is to watch as girls accomplish the year’s goals and prepare themselves for what’s next!
Right in the heart of campus, we are a third of the way complete with our most obvious “growth” project—our new Student Center! The pace of work will really accelerate in the next few weeks as we turn over the dining hall and some interior spaces to our contractors, Whiting-Turner, for the next phase of construction. Our “brown bag” lunch days are coming, and we hope students will enjoy using their colorful Bryn Mawr lunch totes starting next week.  We’ll all be enjoying picnic lunches and some impromptu dining spots for the last six weeks of school. We thank everyone in advance for their patience and know that come August, the Student Center will be well worth these inconveniences.
As we finish out this year, our progress in meeting the goals of our three-pronged strategic plan, The Bryn Mawr Way: A Contemporary Vision for What Girls Need to Thrive, are also on our minds. Our Whole Girl/Whole Day initiatives include more robust after-school programming through our Gateways classes, refreshed spaces to re-energize throughout the day with healthier food, more attractive fitness facilities, and increased attention to artistic and athletic endeavors as we expand and renovate our gym and theater spaces. On the docket for next year is an increased focus on health and wellbeing curriculum throughout the school as we enjoy the more inspiring spaces created in our new Student Center.

A revision in the Upper School schedule beginning next fall offers more opportunity to meet the initiatives set forth in the Bryn Mawr Way: Personalized Pathways exploring individual interests, experiential and interdisciplinary classes emphasizing mastery of skills rather than grades, and STEAM and Maker thought-processes infused in problem solving. Whether through afternoon seminars and internships in the Upper School, Vision and Voice projects in our Middle School or the new Outdoor Curriculum in the Lower School, girls and their teachers are finding new ways to understand their impact on the world.  Continuing to improve and implement these ambitious new curricular initiatives will be next year’s focus.
And finally, we continue to strengthen our Mawrtian Nation by building compassionate understanding for one another, by celebrating the joy of community through our House System, and by celebrating traditions that have been shared by generations of Bryn Mawr women. We engage with alumnae throughout the country and know that building stronger connections between our considered and consequential graduates and today’s students will help illuminate the many paths to success. Next year we look forward to further articulating a strong and deliberate K-12 leadership curriculum that prepares our girls for a future where they will face boundless opportunities.

I hope to see many of you on campus in coming days for Alumnae Weekend and Gym Drill. Best wishes for a wonderful spring.

Cheers,

Located in Baltimore, Maryland, The Bryn Mawr School is a private all-girls pre-kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school with a coed preschool for ages 2 months through 5 years. Bryn Mawr provides students with exceptional educational opportunities on a beautiful 26-acre campus within the city limits. Inquisitive girls, excellent teaching, strong student-teacher relationships and a clear mission sustain our vibrant school community where girls always come first.