It’s the time of year again to welcome many new and returning students back to school. Once again, The Wardlaw+Hartridge School, in its 139 years of continuing operation, welcomes students to what will certainly be another challenging and fun-filled year with many opportunities to explore new ideas and passions. 

We are pleased and proud to have completed a robust admission season, welcoming 134 new pioneering thinkers and their families for the 2021-2022 school year. I enjoyed connecting with many of our newest community members at the New Parent Reception on October 7. Their children are the latest group of new students to add to our diverse student body.

Our school is much more than the sum of its books and curriculum. We have an educational environment in which students embrace a love of learning while being nurtured and challenged by a dedicated, caring group of teachers. Diverse opinions are valued in our community. Students learn about more than sentence structure and mathematical formulas in our classrooms. They learn about themselves and build character while becoming more open minded citizens of the world.

Whether in our classrooms, on our athletic fields and stage, or engaging in service learning, students learn the importance of being resilient, educated, caring and the significant role they play in shaping the future. We often enjoy the privilege of welcoming our alumni back to campus. Whether they graduated this past June or 30-plus years ago, there is a strong sense of belonging.

Recently, my classmate Dr. Kevin Adair from the Class of 1989 returned to campus for a visit. Within minutes, he felt reconnected to his alma mater. Dr. Adair shared updates about his family and dental practice. He fondly recalled his days at Wardlaw+Hartridge and credited the school with providing the preparation for him to be successful. Dr. Adair and I also enjoyed a surprise reunion with Doc Rud, who taught us both U.S. History during our W+H days and happened to be on campus working as a substitute teacher. 

While many people over the past 18 months have been gathering on Zoom screens, some of our alumni have started meeting in person again. Back in July, some of my classmates met in New York City at a mini-reunion organized by Emily Ritz Cutler ’89 and Heidi Ritz Cohen ’90. Although I was unable to attend in person, I enjoyed collaboration and conversation during the planning process and still feel very connected to my W+H classmates. Connections like these embody what an independent school education provides. It promotes a strong sense of belonging in a community of shared values.

Please take some time to visit the Admission section of our website to do a deeper dive into our school.  I hope I have the opportunity to meet you in person at our upcoming Admission Information Session or online at one of our Virtual Admission Information Sessions. Contact the Admission Office anytime to set up a personal tour. You owe it to your child to explore what we offer at Middlesex County’s No. 1 independent school.

As this most unusual school year heads into its final week, I’m proud of how our faculty and staff was able to adapt to the pandemic and continue providing an excellent education with minimal disruption. We learned how to work from home with children as they coped with new ways of learning, struggling at times not only with online learning but also with wearing a mask and not seeing their friends. The pandemic made all of us learn how to be more creative in our approach to daily tasks and how we conduct ourselves and live our lives.

Despite the many hardships we endured, the pandemic has spurred some positive silver linings. We were able to learn how to work remotely, share screens and ideas and actually shrink the world a little bit because we were able to connect with family, friends and colleagues through various platforms. Being creative in how we approached the school year became our mantra. Learning how to return students to in-person learning while supporting those who needed to remain in distance learning became a strength. Learning how to teach to someone on a screen and in person at the same time made us all dig a little deeper as educators. We were creative in our approach to make sure we connected with every student in every class on every day.

Our teachers were able to inspire, guide, enlighten and motivate our students. They supported our students socially and emotionally in their learning and ensured the level of learning continued to move forward. We continued to deliver a no-compromise education for our students, and our teachers deserve to be commended.

Soon we will look back on this time with awe due to the creativity, dedication and passion that our teachers have for their craft, which allowed them to provide an exceptional experience during the most trying times of our lives.

Happy May Day! Wow, it is May already, and we have been learning in person since September. Now that’s personal, and not an easy accomplishment in a global pandemic. The only way we could achieve this incredible accomplishment is by being personal. Paying attention to details ensures that our approach is appropriate during these extraordinary times. Being personal is Wardlaw+Hartridge’s specialty. 

For as long as I can remember, and that’s over 35 years, our approach, as a school, has been personal. Here you are a name, not a number. Not just your learning is important, but your SEL (social emotional learning) is equally important. Sure, providing our students the finest educational experience is critical for their development, but providing an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding is more important now than ever. 

Small classes coupled with expertise in curriculum along with curricular vertical alignment makes a profound difference. Our tailored educational approach provides the necessary edge to help our students gain acceptance to prestigious colleges and universities. From identifying mission appropriate candidates in the admission stage through graduation, we are producing tomorrow’s Pioneering Thinkers. 

Mastering of formulas and great literary works from a myriad of global writers is the norm and not the exception here. Encouraging our students to question and critically think about their place in our society and how they can create change starts on the very first day as a student here. Empowering students to not just follow along like good little listeners but to truly question why, is one of the most important skills they will take away from their W+H experience. 

Cultural competence is more than just studying a culture. Learning to live in someone’s home in Guatemala on one of our service-learning trips in our Global Scholars Program is one important life skill, not just an educational skill. Being able to write about these experiences will take them effectively from the classroom to the board room, where it really counts. Building relationships along the way is equally important. Take Pat Fielder, our librarian, who will retire this year after 35 years of service. The personal connections she has cemented with each student she helped when they were doing their research for their Capstone project or helping them on their deep dive of a particular topic creates the institutional bond that is the hallmark of an independent school experience. Mrs. Fielder has deep rooted relationships and can recall on demand many projects she helped her students with when they return to campus to say hello during college break or at our Fall Fair and Alumni Homecoming weekend.

Education, research skills and critical thinking are all important foundational skills but so is learning to be kind – being empathetic. I was awestruck just the other day when using the Lower School (Grades PreK(3) – 5) stairwell and coming across a largely letter statement, “In a world where you can be anything be kind.” It’s these types of reminders that I value as a parent of three and as an educator. The shared values, the common beliefs on how to treat and approach one another, are most important today. If you value small classes, personalized attention, leadership opportunities on and off the athletic fields, having your child start a club or perform on our off-Broadway quality theatre, then W+H is worth your consideration. Joining our community creates a lifetime of personal connections with not only peers and faculty but also an association with a global alumni network who share commonly held values. Our longstanding international program has greatly added to the overall experience of our classes and has enriched our experiences beyond our imagination. 

I encourage you to take the next move and inquire about our school – you won’t be disappointed. I look forward to connecting with you to share how your child can join this dynamic school community. 

Be well. Stay safe.

Gerard Gonnella, 

Director of Admission and Financial Aid

Director of International Student Program