Dear Reader,
On a recent mid-January evening, the weather suddenly turned cold following a particularly warm winter. The snow, though it was exciting the first time around, turned gray and the wind bit at all who dared to embark on a trek outside, even if it was just to the library. Rumors, like milk splashed into a teacup, swirled from one Dining Hall table to the next about a possible Head of School Day to be announced during that night’s Study Hall. Despite no prior notions regarding such an event, I too, found myself clinging to the detailed speculations. After all, all of the facts seemed to add up a Dunkin Donuts food truck, the Oscar nominations and predictions regarding The Holdovers, and the following day, periods 1-3 would be meeting (and period 4-6 classes are currently lagging behind those classes by a day). I am not sure how far the reach of these rumors extended, but to the dismay of at least a majority of seniors, the next day proved not to be a Head of School Day. Students continued to drudge through the slush during the morning commute to first period, and it was back to business as usual.
In the wintertime, glimmers of hope like this catch like wildfire. News at Deerfield travels quickly enough, for example, when rumor spread that the dorm Mac was supposedly poisoned with carbon monoxide, but all that was found were a few stray candles and a contraband hot water kettle. And that was without the added expedient of a potential chance for sleeping in, a trip to Bittersweet, or extra time to procrastinate with friends before that next assignment is due. After all, winter at Deerfield can be a slow time, and as the academic and athletic grind continues without ceasing, it can feel like the days are on repeat. Without the fall schedule of dances or the festivities of the holidays, wintertime weekends find students haunting the halls of the Athletic Center in search of the secret tunnel to the Dining Hall, roasting s’mores at the fire pits, or ice skating on the outdoor rink.
Though there may not be much going on in terms of collective community events, this season has the potential to be a time where friendships grow as conversations by the fireside tend to go deeper. It’s also a time for individual growth and accomplishments, as evidenced by the impressive wins for Deerfield. Swim & Dive as well as Girls’ Hockey, to name just a few teams, have had particularly good streaks. Additionally, the performances of the dancers and student choreography impressed both faculty and student audience members during the Winter Showcase. And finally, Speech & Debate has continued to perform well, and MUN attended both Yale and Harvard conferences, bringing awards home!
As we count down the days until the spring, I invite all of us to think about how we can make the remaining days in the winter term count, as even with the extra day in February this year, the end of winter is closer than we think.
All the best,
Kaitlyn