Our Wildwood, Summer 2017, Volume 41

Standing on the commencement stage each year, I’m acutely aware that I am in the presence of hundreds of people who are witnessing the start of the next stage of a young person’s life. One of my most sincere hopes—and something that I think of as sacred in this work—is that family and friends will see in each Wildwood graduate the same kindergartener who arrived on campus for the first time all those years ago. When that happens, it confirms that my colleagues and I honor the gifts and individuality of every child in our care, guiding them wisely and educating them well. In my early years at Wildwood, one of the things that I relished about our school was the focus on the future—the commitment to innovation and progress that is at the core of all that we do. A few years later, I came to realize that though an orientation toward dynamic change and growth is critical to the future of our school, an understanding of and an appreciation for the past is equally important. We need to remember that the senior, about to commence, was once that kindergartener. In that spirit, I reflect— with joy, pride, gratitude, and hope—on the work that our community has done to honor the unique strengths of our wonderful school and those of our students. WW

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To commemorate Landis Green’s 10-year anniversary as head of school, we asked the senior class to imagine Wildwood 10 years from now using a 10-word sentence. Here are 10 responses: Alumna finds the cure for cancer and wins Nobel Prize. The U.S. president is a Wildwood alumna and she rocks! Alumni continue to receive “meets,” “mastery,” and “exceeds” in life. WISRD transforms traditional learning environments used by public schools everywhere. Wildwood in 2027 will continue to sprout kind human beings. Wildwood alum found to The whole world now uses the Wildwood Habit of Collaboration. Wildwood alum discovers planet—another Wildwood alum discovers life there. Every student will carpool instead of driving themselves to school. In 2027, Human Rights club will solve the refugee crisis. be instrumental in Middle East peace.

Head of School Landis Green with “Lifer” members of the Class of 2017—seniors who have been at Wildwood since kindergarten.