The 40 or so students who came by the house for a study break prior to the final assessment period the Saturday before Thanksgiving were just another reminder to me of why being Williston’s Head of School is such a rewarding vocation.  

At the end of a long week, and with the holiday just around the corner, students found time to drop in for some hot cider and to relax in front of the fireplace. If one didn’t know better, our house had the atmosphere of a ski lodge in that groups of friends found themselves gathered under one roof at the end of an invigorating day, sharing stories and laughs. Besides the games of foosball and Sorry, I thoroughly enjoyed the time that I had with two of our postgraduate students, young men who have clearly embraced–and been embraced by–Williston in the relatively brief time frame of the first trimester.  

We adults sometimes forget the hothouse of teenage years where weeks take on the significance of years, and it is reassuring to hear directly from our students how connected they feel to their teachers, coaches, and advisers in these ever formative moments.