State of the School Presentation - November 19, 2020

Head of School Marsha Nelson, Board President Bill Bermont, and Chief Operating and Financial Officer Peter Maas presented the Fall 2020 State of the School address to Cathedral employees on November 18 and to parents on November 19.

The presentation highlighted the resilience of the Cathedral community and the perseverance of the school’s rigorous academic program during these trying times; the financial challenges inherent in retooling the school to face new health and safety protocols; the reimagining of campus spaces and recent improvements; and the strong commitment to and ongoing progress of Cathedral’s Anti-Racism Action Plan.

In Marsha Nelson’s comments, she noted, “In this time of a pandemic, almost everything has had to be re-imagined for our school and we have had opportunities to reinvent and maximize our experience for students. Here on campus many of our programs have had to adjust because of the challenges of space, health, and safety constraints, yet the vibrancy of our commitment to academic rigor and social-emotional development shines through.”

In acknowledging Ms. Nelson’s 18 years of service to Cathedral in this, her retirement year, Board President Bill Bermont declared, “We are so blessed to have Marsha as our leader during these difficult times. This is definitely not Marsha quietly riding off into the sunset. She is doing some of her finest work and we, as a community, are extremely grateful.” 

Mr. Bermont went on to state, “The Board is fully behind The Cathedral School’s Anti-Racism agenda. During this time of the pandemic, when social justice issues have come to the fore, this is timely work, it is ongoing, and we are excited to be in the vanguard of this effort.”

In his financial report, Chief Operating and Financial Officer Peter Maas shared the good news that despite the pandemic, 100% of the school’s employees have been retained and are working in concert to ensure the campus is safely equipped to accommodate simultaneous In-Person and Telepresence Learning for as long as state guidelines permit.

As parents have been unable to physically enter the school buildings this semester, Ms. Nelson took them on “A Glimpse into the Daily Life of our School” video tour that provided a warm inside-view into Cathedral’s daily attention to health protocols, social-emotional growth, and the undeterred progress of many programs including academics, music, arts, learning support, and high school counseling. The video illustrates that the pandemic has not interfered with the nurturing, support, and attention given to each student every day at The Cathedral School.