A LETTER FROM THE Board Chair
A LETTER FROM THE 2020-2021 Student Council President
methods that will allow our boys to thrive into the future. That this campaign far surpassed our initial expectations and more than doubled the School’s previous and largest campaign shows the deep commitment of everyone in our community to the success of our School. For that, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the entire community. Beyond the campaign, we have so much to be thankful for: the commitment of our faculty and staff, who showed up each day during the pandemic to educate our boys; the leadership of our administrative team and trustees, which so ably navigated us through these turbulent past two years; and the support of our families and students in keeping each other healthy and safe. Each and every member of our community should feel proud of their contribution, in whatever form, to perpetuate our vision not only of being the finest school for boys, but the finest school anywhere. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as a trustee and Board Chair over the past seven years. I could not be more proud of what we have accomplished as a community, and I am confident that under the leadership of incoming Board Chair Will Stegall, Cathedral School will continue to excel. All the Best, Greg Gretsch Board Chair
DEAR CATHEDRAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY:
Early in my tenure as a Cathedral School trustee, one of the major tasks facing the Board was the development of a new Strategic Plan. This plan, which would serve to guide Cathedral School through the beginning of the next decade,
came to life through a year-long process that included surveys and focus groups with every school constituency, site visits and interviews at exemplary nearby schools, and a deep study of educational research from around the world. The document that resulted from this work, while ambitious, was also inspiring, laying out a detailed path that would allow our School to excel into the future. It’s hard to believe that as my board term ends, all of these ambitious goals have been realized. With the successful completion of the Fulfilling the Strategic Vision Campaign in early 2022, we have significantly grown our endowment, ensuring our teachers will continue to be fairly compensated and that our student body can increase in its diversity. We also have fully funded the construction of the new campus addition, which has added two incredible Learning Common spaces that will enable our teachers to engage in the modern instructional
Teddy Curry ’21
A highlight in terms of tradition was the Faculty/8th Grade basketball game. The Faculty/8th Grade game is a tradition in which, as you may have surmised, the 8th Grade plays the faculty in a friendly but competitive basketball game while the rest of the school watches. It is one of the most beloved traditions by the boys and a highlight of each school year. Thanks to diligent work from the administration and enthusiasm from the community and faculty, the Faculty/8th Grade game was able to take place outside on the roof with parent spectators. The hope last year was to get as close to normal as possible, and the CSB community went above and beyond to make that a reality. Although it’s easy to be sad about all the things that didn’t happen due to COVID, it’s important to recognize all of the hard work from faculty, administrators, and others behind the scenes that gave last year some semblance of a normal year. Mr. Jones repeatedly met with me to see what he could do to make the students happier. All of the teachers went far beyond any reasonable expectation to make things feel more normal and keep everyone safe and comfortable. Although last year wasn’t what anyone expected or wanted, the Cathedral community came together to make the 2020-2021 school year an unforgettable and positive experience that I look back on fondly. Sincerely, Teddy Curry ’21
DEAR CATHEDRAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY: The 2020-2021 school year was tough for everyone, but Cathedral provided a place of stability and encouragement where we could see our friends and teachers face to face, or rather mask to mask. School was undeniably challenging last year, but the steady positivity and creativity of faculty and administrators made the best out of a bad situation. For everything negative about the past year, I can also think of a measure unique to CSB that improved the situation. We were able to return to campus in person more quickly than most schools in a safe and productive way. One of my biggest disappointments about my time at Cathedral was that I was only in Mr. Mundy’s history class for one year instead of the usual two; the silver lining was the opportunity to learn about government and the legal system with Mr. Corrigan. The most negative impact the pandemic had on my 2020- 2021 school year was the loss of beloved and highly anticipated 8th Grade traditions. With this in mind, the Student Council focused on bringing back fun and, hopefully, a sense of normalcy to everyone’s day. We instituted chocolate milk with lunch every Friday, candy bags on Halloween, and spirit days. We were limited by COVID restrictions, making each small gesture all the more impactful. On a personal level, Student Council provided me with a sense of normalcy. No matter what, I knew that on Mondays at 7 pm I would be in a meeting to talk about how to improve our community.
Greg Gretsch embracing his son Declan ’21 during the presentation of diplomas at Graduation
4 | CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
ANNUAL REPORT 2020-2021 FISCAL YEAR | 5
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