Last night’s Concert on the Quad was a tremendous success. Our campus came alive with the sounds of music from 17 different orchestras, bands, choirs, and drama ensembles, alongside art produced by dozens of K-12 students. It was a beautiful culmination of many months of training, practice, and earlier concert performances. My congratulations and gratitude go to our music and fine arts departments for going above and beyond to create this special event for our entire community.

Culminating events such as these serve many purposes in education. They foster teamwork, demonstrate learning, develop new oral presentation and performance skills, motivate learners, and provide authentic feedback from an audience. There is a sense of excitement that builds for these events, and it is shared by students, teachers, principals, and parents. Growth is celebrated, memories are made!

In just the past several weeks, our community has supported events in our divisions such as Look at Loretto Day, Poetry Night, Talent Show, Mother’s Day Program, Drama Club performances, individual concerts, and final games, matches, and meets. Our calendars are filled with command performances, and I know it can feel like a lot. But once we drop into our seats, we share pride in our children and all they have achieved. We’re reminded by the Seals and Crofts song that “we may never pass this way again,” and we are grateful for the moments to witness the wonder.

In honor of the learning, laughter, and love that takes place every day at SMA, enjoy this video of 2022-23 moments big and small. We’ll feel your applause, as we feel your support every day. We are so close to summer; here’s to finishing strong!