Inspired to Persist

A Letter from Our Head of School

Dear WSP Families,

Yesterday, students in Grade Two celebrated the Lunar New Year (see photo below). The start of this holiday coincides with the date of the new moon in Asia. Each year is associated with one of 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. 2021 is the Year of the Ox.

“The Year of the Ox empowers us to stay the course in the face of unrelenting change. If our persistence is constant, we will emerge from 2021 stronger and more capable than ever before. While the pace of progress may seem frustratingly slow, take credit for the small victories, embrace the little moments of love and connectedness that continue to bind us together.” —The American Acupuncture Council

We have much love that binds us together as a community. Watching the young children pull each other on sleds this week reminded me of the persistence our community has shown over time and the abilities we have developed as a result. We have such gratitude for the fortitude this requires.

Please note that with the gift of snow we received this week, we used our last snow day in our calendar. If we have any more closures in the weeks to come, all students will move to a whole school distance learning day.

Thank you for your continued flexibility. May you embrace the little moments of love on Valentine’s Day and beyond, and may you be inspired to persist!

Warmly, Kirsten Christopherson-Clark Head of School

Grade Two celebrated Lunar New Year and the beginning of the Year of the Ox by creating butterflies. The butterfly represents persistence. Each student wrote wishes for the coming year for their butterfly to carry with them.

This project was inspired by DIY Charms as part of the W.O.W. Project. Born from a five-generation owned family business in the heart of NYC's Chinatown, The W.O.W. Project is a women and non-binary-led, community-based initiative that mentors future generations of creative leaders in Chinatown. More information about the charms is found here.