Dear Parents,
In our house, when our children were little, my husband
would stop in the middle of playing with our son and daughter to survey the
scene. Playing in the leaves, having laughing contests, making snow angels, it
didn’t matter—he would simply freeze, with a silly smile on his face. When I
asked him what he was doing, he would say, “I’m making a memory.” This phrase has become part of the language
of our household, used to describe those special times that make you appreciate
who you are, where you are, in the moment. The sentence has become a reminder
to each of us to stop and smell the proverbial roses.
I found myself making many memories this week. Watching
girls peruse and purchase books at the book fair, I was reminded of how
fortunate we are to have parents who choose to be involved in the lives of
their daughters’ school. In our special assembly on Thursday, the entire Lower
School made a memory when I spoke to the girls about the importance of Veterans
Day and the bravery and patriotism of soldiers like our own Officer Derek Coren,
father of third grader Raquel. The girls
got a close up look at the American and Afghan flags flown in Kabul on the
tenth anniversary of 9/11. These flags were dedicated to The Agnes Irwin School
by Officer Coren, who just recently returned from a tour of duty in
Afghanistan.
Later Thursday night, I stood in the pouring rain with other
enthusiastic parents, faculty, staff, and students making a memory together as
we watched the fall Upper School teams participate in a dance contest with a
blazing bonfire and quite a few dancing Lower Schoolers behind them. This, of
course, followed the memories made watching our faculty and staff play a
rousing volleyball game against our state champion varsity volleyball
team. By the time you read this I will
have likely made another memory watching our girls leave everything they have
on the fields and courts of Episcopal Academy in the annual
competitions.
Each time I made a memory this week, one word came to mind: community. The sense of community at The
Agnes Irwin School is more than just a feeling; it is a reality. There really
is no other place that is the same. That is due in no small part to you, and
your daughters, and the energy and commitment you bring to this
institution. As we look toward a
national day of thanksgiving in a few weeks, I take this moment to say, simply,
thank you.
Make a memory this weekend,
Donna
P.S. Here’s a way to
make a memory with your family this weekend-- Peter Odiorne, dad to third
graders Sydney and Ashton, has just finished directing a movie that is being
released today! The Greening of Whitney Brown, featuring Brooke Shields
and Aidan Quinn, is a limited release and will be playing at the AMC Plymouth
Meeting Mall 12 from today through Nov. 17. For times, go to www.amctheaters.com/PlymouthMeeting. A family movie not to be
missed—congratulations, Peter!