The Important Thing is the Important Thing

At a recent family gathering I attended, the focus of conversation understandably centered upon the precipitous decline in the Dow this fall. As folks worried about the 15-25% decline of their investments within a few short weeks and speculated about how long it might take to recover from this "downturn," the mood in the room became somber.

My own mind jumped to Upland families, sacrificing to make tuition payments and helping to support the school in so many ways. There is no denying or ignoring the reality of the economic situation surrounding us at this point in time; to do so would be naive, foolish, and done at our own peril. For these very reasons, we are looking at our own tuition, expenses, and tuition assistance in earnest. Despite the ubiquitous doom and gloom media coverage, though, history tells us we will recover as a nation and economy despite these very real circumstances.

While the outside world may be tumultuous right now, as I enter my second year at Upland, I try to remain focused on our people and not just our savings accounts; now, more than ever, "The important thing is the important thing." For us, that means fulfilling our mission and providing a unique, balanced, life-altering set of experiences for our pre-k through ninth grade students.

This year, it means partnering our science curriculum with Stroud Water Research Center, our art curriculum with Longwood Gardens, and focusing our community service efforts on Pennies for Peace in an attempt to teach our kids a very powerful lesson about enacting real change on the world, one school at a time. It means that by the time our ninth graders graduate in June, they will have been a part of several drama productions, athletic teams and traveled internationally, in addition to completing a challenging academic program that allows for matriculation, like last year's graduating class, into secondary schools like St. Andrews, Westtown, Madeira, Loomis Chaffee, and each of the Wilmington independent schools.

In addition, after reflecting upon a few of the most memorable moments of my first year, I think Upland's focus on nurturing good people should be at the top of the list of our "most important thing(s)" we do. Whether it is the 9th graders who, without prodding, individually lined up to thank me for taking them out to lunch one day last year, or the upper school students who shake hands with faculty dance chaperones to show appreciation for teachers giving of their weekend night time, learning civility and manners are a critical part of the Upland experience.

Spending time in Upland classrooms, on our field trips, and at our student activities reminds me daily that life is good, even if the economy is not. In such an environment, I can think of no better investment than in our kids.