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This week’s From the Heart author is Shawn Leight, Board Chair.

Dear Academy Families and Friends,

Last week our new Head of School, Mr. Tim Horner, said that he was expanding the voice of Thursday Mail by featuring students, parents, faculty, staff, trustees, and alums. This week I am kicking off this new tradition!

I was thrilled and humbled when asked to serve as an Academy Trustee and later Board Chair. Over 14 years as an Academy parent, I have experienced the tremendous good that this school does for our children, our families, and our greater community. When we were recruiting Tim, he asked me, “What is the Academy’s ‘secret sauce’?” The answer is, and always has been, about the children. It is not just that Academy students are well prepared to thrive in high school; they graduate from the Academy knowing, and being comfortable with, who they are. They are committed to making a positive difference in the world. Academy kids are truly something special.

This week’s From the Heart author is Tim Horner, Head of School.

Dear Academy Families and Friends,

This year, I think I was more excited and anxious for the first day of school than any of our students. With a whirlwind of activity, the day progressed quickly and left me appreciating the culture of our school.

I define culture as a self-perpetuating manifestation of the community. Faculty and students determine culture, illustrated and reinforced as much in the small, unseen moments as the large experiences of traditions:

• A student exiting their car with haste for a prolonged hug with their teacher
• A teacher escorting an anxious student to their classroom on the first day of school
• A returning student greeting a new student at their car and walking them to their classroom
• A student greeting a faculty member in the hallway and offering to help carry what the faculty member holds
• Seventh Class students warmly inviting me into their four square game
• A student defining the Academy as home

Dear Academy Families and Friends,

As I complete my first month at the Academy, my heart is full of gratitude for this community. From the moment I stepped onto campus, I felt something very special about this school and it is a great honor to serve as the 46th Head of School. My enjoyment during this first month is matched only by the level of learning, including the Roots that Give us Wings Conference in June and Sacred Heart Heads Conference, which just concluded in California.