Dear St. E’s Community,

Just as springtime in Colorado is a delicate back and forth between warm sunshine and snowy days, it’s a push and pull between looking ahead to the future and reflecting on the days behind us. Often, when we see the flowers begin to bloom, we think only of our excitement for the beauty to come, and not as much of what it took to create that beauty. The gathering of seeds, the hard work of planting them, caring for them, and their resilience to survive frozen ground and peek through when the time is right. We are reminded of what’s important in life and to take stock of what’s around us: to show gratitude for the beautiful things in our lives.

Speaking of showing gratitude for the beautiful things in our lives, we recently celebrated both Transgender Visibility Day and World Autism Day while on spring break. At St. E’s, we often discuss the importance of empathy and embracing those who are different from ourselves. Having a campus — and more broadly, a world — in which everyone is different makes it all the more beautiful and interesting. And just like the spring flowers, many of us have had to rely on our resilience to get us through the tough days to let in the sunshine; our growth represents a renewal of ourselves and reminds us that it’s always possible to thrive after hardship.

In the same light, we will celebrate Easter and the conclusion of Passover, both of which represent renewal and signal us to welcome the change of the seasons from winter to spring. Our diverse campus means we have those who will celebrate Easter, those who are celebrating Passover, and some who celebrate neither; it offers the chance for us to learn about other religions and family traditions, and once again celebrate what makes us different, which ultimately brings us together.

We stand together for many reasons at St. E’s — we have built a strong and supportive community that advocates for each other and the values we believe in. I am so immensely proud and grateful as our Middle School students rallied together for our campus walk-out in protest of the gun violence that we tragically see too often in schools. But one of the most important pillars of St. E’s is speaking up and out about the things that affect us; we continuously foster a sense of confidence and passion for our rights. It fills my cup to see our students — our changemakers of tomorrow — standing up for what they believe in, unafraid to be heard.

The days when we’re standing up, speaking out, and fighting for what we believe in might be considered our tough days, but they’re also what plant the seeds for the flowers of tomorrow. When we put in the work, take stock of what’s around us and what we can celebrate (or, alternatively, what we can change), the gratitude and appreciation go that much farther.

So, I’ll leave you with a challenge: To reflect on the tough days and how they shape us, to remember — and better yet, to acknowledge — the beautiful people in your life, and to always speak up for what’s important to you. And, to educate those who aren’t a part of our campus and community that they can do the same to make the world a better place.

Best foot forward,

Adriana Murphy
Head of School