On August 10th, Head of School Rick Hardy sent an email to the Concord Academy community announcing the administration’s plan to go virtual for the fall semester. The community reacted in a variety of ways; some members were accepting of the decision, and others were disappointed. This resulted in a myriad of challenging emails and zoom calls, to which members of the senior class responded. See their statement below.
Dear Concord Academy community,
Members of the senior class as signed below hope that this message finds the CA community in good health and enjoying the last few weeks of summer. We look forward to our final year as students and leaders at CA and are excited to welcome new and returning students and families back to school in whatever capacity it may be.
Confusion, anger, and sadness are all valid emotions as we grieve the loss of the fall semester as we anticipated it. The news that CA will be going virtual is a disruption to all of our lives during this difficult time, and it is safe to say that we all wish we could be with one another in person this fall. That being said, we stand with the administration and the faculty members who have made this decision.
We understand the delicate nature of these unprecedented circumstances and would like to express our empathy for those who are frustrated and disadvantaged by the choice to institute a virtual learning experience. However, many of us were taken aback by the tone of the reactions shared by some members of our community. We wish to represent our thoughts and perspectives on this matter, and though it was implied otherwise, we want to emphasize that our opinions differ from those expressed by some members of the community. We trust that the administration explored all options in making an effective hybrid or in-person plan, and we appreciate all the hard work that they are doing. We acknowledge that the opinions shared are not representative of all those present in our community, and we appreciate those who have spoken up in support of the school.
It is the utmost priority of our class to stand behind our faculty and staff, who, in their trust and respect for us throughout the past three years, have earned our faith in them. While we understand the frustration that stems from a lack of communication and transparency regarding the recent change in plans, we urge everyone to continue asking questions to better understand this decision and trust the faculty and administration. Every individual is entitled to their own views and opinion regarding the decision to start the year off virtually. However, having chosen to be a part of this community, we invite everyone to stand with us in support of CA’s values: common trust, equity, and mutual respect. As some of the leaders of CA’s student body, we’re asking you to respect the adults in our community, who are so committed to our education, safety, and wellbeing. And most of all, we’re asking you to uphold the values that we have embraced throughout high school and will continue to live by long after we graduate.
Sincerely,
The following members of the senior class:
Abigail Kaufman
Adam Winograd
Aliza Keegan
Altea Thompson
Angie Minichiello
Amanda Shih
Bailey Herrmann
Bryan Montenegro
Callum Chertavian
Christina Younan
Coco Huang
Coriell Miller
Diego Hernandez
Edward Myers-Rafferty
Emily Shih
Emma Myers-Rafferty
Emma Benardete
Emma Lurie
Ennya Papastoitsis
Eric Liu
Gabriela Ruberto
Hayden Jennings
Hans Toulmin
Henry Patton
Isadora Goldman Leviton
Jack Lin
Jeremiah Lamothe
Jessica Bradford
Jolyon Breckon
Josh Pierce-Gupta
Julia Barrozo
Kaori Sakurai
Kendall Bartel
Kincaid DeBell
Laura Diangeli
Lev Ko
Loki Fondeur
Maddy Liesching
Max von Gottberg
Max Winneg
Melanie Chen
Meleah Neely
Mika Iwasa
Miles Berry
Natalie Cangas
Oliver Longo
Olivia Fisher
Oluchi Nancy Onyimah
Piper Frankum
Piper Gordon
Roger Ge
Rose Sinkus
Rylie Robinson
Sammy Albright
Sam Remondi
Sara McKenna
Saúl Verdi
Shreya Patel
Yehrim Hwang
Zahaan Khalid
Zeno Marquis