November 18 – As we headed out on Thanksgiving Break, our Lower Campus students donated their energy and big-heartedness to raising money for local families through the annual Turkey Trot. Students participated in field events and then ended the day with the Trot, which raised $14,700 for the Student Council, which in turn will donate proceeds to support the Help of Ojai and service projects for the community.
Also today, Head of School Lars Kuelling shared a message thanking our remarkable teachers and support staff, who are the backbone and the heart of Ojai Valley School. Here is his message, entitled “A note of gratitude as we head into break…”
Dear Faculty and Staff Friends,
November is always a special time in schools, a period where we’ve gotten through the rush of back-to-school activities and we can step back to think about all we have to celebrate, to give thanks for, as a community. I worry sometimes that we have a tendency to give thanks for things, when we should really be giving thanks for people.
I’m grateful for confident, engaged learners who participate eagerly in the classroom, speak confidently at All School Assemblies and in front of the Board of Trustees, and care deeply about their fellow students. For faculty who put students at the center of all they do as they strive for excellence in and out of the classroom.
For our office staff and the gracious welcome they provide visitors to campus, while tending to student “emergencies” such as the forgotten book bag and the innumerable support services for all of us. For our maintenance and housekeeping crews and all they do behind the scenes to keep our school in tip-top shape. For the dining hall staff and the amazing food from our kitchens…nutritious and delicious, and delightfully spicy on Mexican days!
For our dorm parents and the sense of family our resident students find in our dorm spaces thanks to their nurturing care. For our health center staff and their tireless hours as they keep our resident and day students well. For our transportation staff and the countless trips, tours, and explorations they drive us to and from.
For our equestrian staff and the way in which they build student confidence while lovingly caring for our ponies and horses. For coaches and their league championships and games hard fought, but lost, and the student growth that occurred over the course of the season.
For our faculty sponsors of robotics, On the Hill, OVS productions, Friday clubs, and our vibrant after school program. For our theatrical and musical directors of Pinnochio and the musical review at Fall Family Weekend. For our art and woodshop teachers who stoke student creativity and the warming fire in our Founders Woodshop.
For our outdoor educators and the trips I attended at Reyes Peak and Santa Cruz Island, just two of the numerous natural features our outdoor ed programs have visited this year. For school gardeners who plant food for our tummies, provide nectar for the pollinators of the world, and safeguard refuge for the Monarch butterflies in sun-dappled patches of native milkweed. For all those who organize and lead fun (and often zany) activities such as SpudFest, bowling for turkeys, snow cone sales, and Fossils vs Spuds soccer and volleyball games (Go Fossils!).
For our admissions, development, technology and business office staff who bring in our students, procure the funding we need to educate them, keep our systems running, and manage our financial well-being. For our administrative team, always looking to support and nurture students and staff as they lead the school.
I opened school this year by speaking to the theme of Head, Hand, and Heart, referencing Ed Yeomans’ admonition to be a “community [that] is a good place for children.” As I reflect back on the first third of the year, I am struck by the ways in which you have made this true in all that you do. Thank you for keeping this singular focus at the heart of an OVS education, and thank you for welcoming Patty and me to OVS and nurturing us as we put roots in the ground.
Wishing you and your families the happiest of Thanksgivings,
Lars
