concerns, and simply be heard. Despite the drastic changes imposed upon the world of education, the work of our School continued and Town Hall gave us an outlet to communicate how things were going. During many Town Halls, we had as many as 215 viewers tuning in. Various members of our staff presented developments specific to their work, including Jim Schmidt from the Development Office, Kristen Vilhauer with an update about high school placement, and Melisa Seward Block who highlighted our financial health. There were meetings where we had many decisions to share, and other meetings where there were more questions than answers. Town Hall meetings were less about knowing it all, and more about maintaining our community by building trust through transparency and reassurance. Laughter is said to be the best medicine and what better way to smile than engage in hilarious trivia, mind-boggling magic, and a day at the beach. Early on in our shelter-in-place, we created Sunday Family Trivia Game, where families and faculty sought the glory of winning the top spot by answering fun
trivia questions. Trivia Game was also a great way to highlight our graduating eighth-grade students. Each week, several eighth graders were cleverly incorporated into the questions. To celebrate and thank the whole community for their support throughout the year, the Development Office organized a night of illusion— Magic: the (Virtual) Gathering —with San Francisco magician, Kevin Blake. With a record Cathedral Zoom atten- dance of almost 200 families, we laughed, gawked, and cheered as Kevin read the mind of Headmaster Jones, and magically identified the correct numbers of a Lotto ticket that had been sealed in a box all night. It was a great evening to share together and remember that magic can do wonders for the mind, heart, and soul. We also had a lot of fun with Virtual Beach Spirit Day. Teachers and students alike dressed for Zoom calls as if it was a day at the beach. Perhaps the biggest loss with distance learning was not being able to share music or messages together in Chapel . So much of who we are resounds in the singing and silence that Chapel provides. Therefore, it was imperative that we find a creative way to keep the spirit of Chapel alive. Within a week of shelter- in-place, we were able to present three weekly Chapels: Lower School Chapel, All-School Chapel, and Hymn Sing. As the only asynchronous Chapel, the pre-recorded Lower School Chapels allowed families to enjoy the videos together. John Walker, our Lower School Performing Arts teacher, and I worked together to create Chapels where the messages were tangible, meaningful, and joyful. We explored creating beauty, creativity, what to do when you’re feeling blue, and racism and social justice in the shadow of George Floyd’s death. On Wednesday mornings, the whole school gathered not only to pray together and share messages of hope and resilience, but also to hear the Eighth-Grade Chapel Talks. This growing tradition gives eighth graders the opportunity to share their thoughts, opinions, and experiences as they relate to Chapel themes. Finally, Cathedral simply isn’t Cathedral without Hymn Sing . So every Friday morning, we gathered one more time as a distance community and sang (albeit on mute). Though we couldn’t hear everyone lend his or her voices, we shared the music just the same. And as one scrolled through the Zoom boxes of different families gathered together, and boys waving ‘hi’, the power of Hymn Sing was palpable. All of a sudden, it was the end of May and summer was in sight. What end of the year tradition do you think students love the most? The Student Council Fair is always fun, but that’s not it. Graduation is beautiful and touching, but still, that’s not it. Can you guess it? That’s right, Field Day. Images of the sack race, the relays, and of course, the penultimate tug-of-war may be flooding your mind. And in spite of all of the creative ways we were able to maintain our Cathedral community at a distance, you might conclude that trying to replicate
Headmaster Jones at Town Hall Zoom
Mr. Harlow at Town Hall Zoom
“THE QUESTION BECAME NOT ONLY HOW DO WE PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT EDUCATION AT A DISTANCE, BUT HOW CAN WE MAINTAIN OUR CATHEDRAL COMMUNITY WHEN WE CAN’T BE TOGETHER?”
Virtual Lower School Chapel
Mr. Walker performing for the boys during Lower School Chapel
Field Day was out of the question. “Never!” our Athletics Department proclaimed. And so began yet another incredible effort to not only maintain our traditions at a distance, but to make them even more fun, inclusive, and spirit-driven. Over the course of three weeks, our athletics staff created and posted Field Day videos featuring activities that can be done at home. Everything from balling up a pair of socks and “shooting baskets” to the ever-popular Cookie Monster game, challenging students (and adults) to move a cookie from your forehead to your mouth without hands! Red and Gold teams posted videos using Flipgrid and cheered each other on through virtual sidelines. It was a festive and engaging way to end three months of being apart, and only confirmed that the Hawks remain competitive, supportive, and ready for anything.
Schools around the world are looking out on a new frontier of education. The change is rapid and it is expansive. At Cathedral, we embrace change, as difficult as it can sometimes be, because we know that with change comes growth. And yet, while the tides of social, economic, racial, and educational change impacted our every decision, so too did the unwavering value of Cathedral community and character-building. Despite the obstacles in our path, we remained as committed to the students’ academic well-being as we did to their whole family’s emotional health. By prioritizing connection, we maintained our community. By creating spaces for prayers and tears, we strengthened our bonds. And by laughing together, we reassured each other that at the end of the day, the Cathedral Community never quits, no matter the distance, virtual or otherwise.
Creating magic with Kevin Blake and Cathedral
8 | CATHEDRAL SCHOOL FOR BOYS
FALL 2020 • RED & GOLD | 9
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