Wednesday's events in our nation's capital proved both terrifying and deeply disturbing. Like many, I watched in disbelief as the violence threatened to disrupt the certification of our presidential election. Those individuals involved attacked the very center of our system of government and sought to bend it to their own will.
Like you, I am still processing what occurred, sorting through my feelings, and thinking about its implications for our country and our community. Given my own emotions, it is easy to understand that our students, especially those in our Middle and Upper School, might be afraid, upset, and confused.
As a community, we must make space for our students to talk about what happened and express their feelings, no matter how messy or complicated those emotions may be. I have discussed the situation with our faculty, and many are engaging with their students about what occurred, as well as more broadly, what it means to live in a democracy and follow the rule of law.
I am confident that our school community is a safe one. Our students, in particular, need to be reassured that our government is stable and will continue to function effectively. One hope is that it might now become less divisive by necessity, as this latest specter of violence has reared its ugly head in the halls of Congress. Further, there will be an orderly transfer of power to a new administration. This too, offers hope that we will move forward in the coming weeks and months.
As often is the case in society, as well as the schoolhouse, there will be inherent differences in opinion. Perhaps one thing we can all agree upon is the principle that violence of any kind is unacceptable. For too many months, our country has witnessed riots, looting, and other destructive events. Our core values of courage, integrity, respect, compassion, and excellence have never been more important, or more in need; not just here at Gill St. Bernard's, but also in our nation. We must continue to emphasize the importance of citizenship, and its meaning, through our words as well as our actions.
Many thanks to everyone for helping us navigate these difficult waters. My primary concern is for the wellbeing and safety of our students. As I have advised our faculty, a calm demeanor is essential in our response to this situation. We must allow our students to talk and, in turn, we must be good listeners. We will do our best, working together, to support each other. In this way, I pray that we may strengthen the bonds of our community and serve as living examples of our school's core values.