LISA CONRAD Head of School Dear Park Community, Recently, I drove to Canterbury Woods, a continuing care retirement community in Williamsville, to watch our middle school chorus perform as part of their service project. After the concert (which was so uplifting), one of the Canterbury Woods residents approached me. She said that the children were such talented performers and singers but what deeply impressed her was how these early adolescents obviously liked and supported each other throughout the performance. Thirty years ago, she reported, she substituted for one day at Park and she still remembers the distinct culture of friendliness and support, a culture she had not found in any other school. She told me that she was glad to see that Park was still the same way many generations later. My mission is to not only preserve but expand the spirit of enthusiasm and positive peer influence that was on display for the Canterbury Woods audience. I am particularly excited to be the Head of The Park School at this time in its history. We are enthusiastically executing on our strategic plan, which the Board passed in June 2022, and it is already having an impact. Since the adoption of the plan, Park’s enrollment has increased by nearly 10%. And the word is getting out. Inquiries have increased 80% and the number of applicants has also increased by 172%. I too had to check my math, but yes, applications have increased that dramatically. During this time, we have made necessary investments in our campus, most notably fixing the eight roofs on the LLC building, installing security doors and cameras, pruning our 34-acres of trees, planting several gardens, and updating Stone Hall’s storefront windows. And there will be more to come in the following months. With the help of several generous donors, the Children’s House and the Bungalow will get all new windows and siding and the tennis courts will be completely renovated. We are also beginning the design process for a new performing and visual arts center. These capital improvements are intended to support the excellence we already have in place and encourage our faculty and students to strive for even higher levels of academic, artistic, and athletic achievement. But Park is more than a collection of outstanding programs. It is a precious and rare culture that celebrates diversity, practices acceptance, encourages critical and creative thinking, and practices civil discourse, especially as we work through our differences. Everyday, I observe examples of Park’s kind, engaged, and thoughtful culture. For instance, I attended a varsity girls basketball game recently. We have a great team this year with a chance to win the league. In this particular game, Park was beating the opposing team by 20 points when one of their players became injured. She fell to the floor, clearly in pain. In most games, the players would retire to their respective benches and let the trainers attend to the injured player. But in this instance, a Park girl knelt down and helped her injured opponent to her feet and guided her to her bench. I congratulated her the next day, calling in whatever teachers and administrators who were available to thank and applaud for her incredible sports(wo)manship! When you combine Park’s spirit with academic excellence, I believe you can change the world. Truly, I am excited and eager to help our students make a profound impact for not only our current community members but for those who will come in the generations ahead. I believe in the transformative power of education, and I am thankful that in my role as Head of School I can help shape this kind of future. Growth doesn’t come without challenges, but that only fuels my excitement. I see them as opportunities to innovate, evolve, and strengthen Park’s community. I am determined to navigate our obstacles with resilience and grace, and with the help, support, and expertise of my colleagues, our parents, our alumni, and all the other stakeholders that make Park - well - Park. Warmest Regards, Lisa M. Conrad Head of School 3
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