Dear Gregory School Community,

In light of the recent killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and others; of the racially-based harassment of Chris Cooper and others; and of the ensuing violence, I would like to enfold you all in a brief pause. This is not a pause of inaction. Rather, it is a pause taken in affirmation and reflection of who and what we are as a school community and what we stand for as part of our global society.

Every day, teachers and administrators at The Gregory School plan and implement our students’ days so that they experience our 6Cs: critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, compassion, communication, and community. Within those overarching principles, there is no room for racism. There is no room for prejudiced hatred or for thoughtless violence. Our 6Cs mandate that we must think, that we must listen, and that we must learn. Living by the 6Cs every day means that we must strive to make all of us greater, and that every member of our community must be valued and offered respect, dignity, and equality.

I reach out now specifically to our students, families, alumni, faculty, and staff of color: Please know that The Gregory School Community is with you. Please know that we will find additional ways of teaching, modeling, and living by the true meanings of our 6Cs and that we will work to bolster our dedication to being a community where all of us feel safe and cherished.

I am grateful to our Gregory School Community during this time, and I am especially grateful to our students, whom I know have gone and will go into the world to make it a better, stronger, and more compassionate place.

I wish you all peace and good health.

Julie A. Sherrill, Ph.D.
Head of School