Dear Wardlaw+Hartridge Community,

I write this greeting just weeks after enjoying a fantastic Fall Fair and Alumni Awards Ceremony here on campus. The day included a reunion of the Wardlaw School for Boys and the Hartridge School for Girls classes of 1973 and our annual Alumni Awards Ceremony and Reception. Alumni representing five decades of graduates reconnected, shared stories, and toured the campus, meeting current students, teachers, and staff. It was wonderful to celebrate the 1971 boys’ and 1984 girls’ State Prep basketball champions and to recognize three individual award recipients: Gil Childers ’73, Keith Mann ’03, and esteemed Distinguished Faculty Member Sue Howard. You will find further details about each of our highly deserving award recipients in this edition of the Oak & Ivy.

Events like Fall Fair and the Alumni Awards Ceremony are visceral reminders of the deep bonds  and lasting value of the Wardlaw+Hartridge experience. Distances of time and space fade away as folks return to campus and their days as W+H students. Such days fill me with an immense sense of pride in our community and a keen sense of responsibility to both honor traditions and legacy while continuing important work to ensure we remain a vital and vibrant school for the next 140 years.

As we embark on a transformative phase of strategic development, I am inspired by the thousands of W+H alums and the 451 current students. Our school has always been a beacon of knowledge, a place where young minds are nurtured and dreams take flight. As we chart a course for an even brighter future, we do so with a clear focus on innovation and distinctive programming that will propel us forward as an independent school leader. In coming weeks and months, you will hear more from the school about our strategic plan, which is not a document but a roadmap. It represents the collective commitment of all who are invested in the long term success of our Wardlaw+Hartridge. It is exciting and ambitious work requiring a deep belief in the potential of every student to be a pioneering thinker.

Each week I endeavor to visit classes to see our teachers and students in action together. These visits ground my work in authenticity; I see first-hand how our teachers provide opportunities for children to experiment and take academic risks, where creativity knows no bounds, and where each young person has the opportunity to try new things each day. Taking an innovative approach to education is the cornerstone of progress here at W+H. These are exciting days to be part of the Wardlaw+Hartridge family, and I invite you to be part of the adventure. Let us embrace change, celebrate our achievements, learn from setbacks, and continuously strive for the extraordinary.

Onward!
Dr. Corinna Crafton, Head of School