Dear Families,

As we head into Homecoming weekend, it’s a time to focus on the fundamentals of the school—the things that haven’t changed and make us who we are. One of these is that we are cell-phone free since 1929. I was on the podcast “Harvard Thinking” to talk about our cell phone culture, along with Yale Professor Laurie Santos and Harvard Professor Susan Linn. Have a listen, or read the Harvard Gazette story, and share with anyone interested in this topic. As you know, we are passionate about the face-to-face culture your kids are leading at St. Andrew’s! My colleagues are excited to have a book talk with you next week on this topic and our all-school summer read, Jon Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation. Join the conversation!

Speaking of Homecoming, and home truths, I write from a school whose hallways are filled with green-faced Shreks, clowns, cupids, and who knows what. Today is “dorm theme” day of Spirit Week and each dorm has chosen a theme around which they have coordinated their attire. (I use the term “attire” loosely.) Dorms are important at a boarding school, and especially at St. Andrew’s, where we are all living on campus. (We are one of only three coeducational all-boarding schools.) Dorms are home, they are where friendships are built, where we develop empathy, listen, and appreciate each other.

It takes special people to orchestrate dorm life and live with adolescent students. Yesterday, The Association of Boarding Schools recognized one of our own—and one of the all-time greats—Stacey Duprey ’85 P’04,’10 with the Burch Ford Kaleidoscope Award for Excellence in Student and Residential Life. Hundreds of boarding schools are TABS members, and Stacey stood out as an inspiration and leader in student and residential life. Your kids immediately rocked all of Engelhard (I hear the vibrations were felt all the way to Founders Hall) as they leapt to their feet to salute their beloved teacher. It was such a beautiful moment, and I wish you could have been there. I met Stacey when she became an SAS parent nearly 25 years ago, when I was still new on the faculty, and her fierce love for St. Andrew’s and our students was apparent from the start. We have all felt the force with Stacey, and it’s one of the blessings of this school. Read more about Stacey, “the heart of St. Andrew’s,” and the award here. Please congratulate her when you see her!