Dear CSW Community,

Each year, as we put together our Philanthropy Impact Report, we look back on the year prior and reflect on what made that particular year special or unique. What were some of our most memorable moments? What were some of our challenges? What made us most proud? Often, in letters like this one, we like to say a year is “one we will not soon forget.” And we mean it. But when we think back on the 2020-21 school year, we really really mean it. The 2020-21 school year is a year we will truly never forget.

After a completely virtual spring, we went into the summer of 2020 having very little idea of what the fall would look like. Vaccines for the COVID-19 virus had yet to be made available, and schools everywhere were intently researching ways to safely re-open their campuses. At CSW, this meant auditing our campus spaces for airflow and circulation; installing new handwashing stations; posting foot traffic arrows and wayfinders; reconfiguring our classrooms; developing health screening and contact tracing protocols; outfitting learning spaces with microphones and cameras for remote learners; and having our faculty completely reimagine the ways they taught and delivered content, transitioning to a fully hybrid classroom model.

Beyond the pandemic, CSW and the world grappled with issues of racism, growing inequities, a rapidly changing planet, and far too many incidents of violence. It was not an easy year, but we made it through. In the face of great adversity, we sometimes stumbled, but we always got back up, and we did it with your help. You challenged us to re-examine our practices to make them more equitable and inclusive. You volunteered on health and safety committees. You patiently adhered to exhausting health and safety protocol. You engaged in virtual events and cheered our students and faculty on when they needed it most. And you donated essential funds at a time when we most needed it. 

And so now, as we look back, we do so with great pride for this community and all that it has been able to endure and accomplish: the establishment of a racial equity task force; a completely outdoor musical theatre production; online dance and rock/pop concerts; a moving and informative Michael H Feldman ’67 Social Justice Day; a virtual reunion, and numerous alumni/ae gatherings and artist series. None of these things would have been possible without your support, and we are so grateful.

While we are not out of this pandemic yet, we know we can get through anything that comes our way, and look forward to whatever the future may bring. Thank you for all of your support.