Head Of School

Dear SMH Families, 

This past week, I had the great pleasure of attending the ISAS Arts Festival, which was held at All Saints Episcopal in Fort Worth.  Having heard so many positive stories about past festivals, including the one we hosted in 2016, I was so impressed with the scale of the event, its purpose of showcasing student art, and most of all, our own students’ performances and works of art...

I hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable spring break. Always excited to return to school, I was particularly energized to see our students return to campus this morning. One student shared with me how much driving her family had done over break, between the beach in Corpus Christi and then all the way to Dallas. I empathized because my family decided to drive 19 hours to South Carolina during the break to watch our daughter Tyne and her college teammates play three tennis matches. Spending time with her and being able to host her teammates and some of their parents made the drive easily rewarding...

G.K. Chesterton wrote that “coincidences are spiritual puns,” meaning that there’s no such thing as a coincidence but that things happen for a reason.  I thought of Chesterton’s quote the other day after Form 5 student Saanvi Goyal spelled out the winning word in the Lower School Spelling Bee last Friday.  “S-O-L-I-D-A-R-I-T-Y…solidarity,” to which Ms. Angie Veale, the judge, replied, “that is correct.”  What followed was an auditorium filled with applause, for Saanvi and for all the contestants for their skill, hard work, and courage.  Even in a competition of individuals, our school community reinforced the values that bound everyone together that day...

The weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter breaks are always an exciting time of year as there is much to celebrate and anticipate.  As Dr. Brock reminds us recently in our Chapels on Diwali, Advent, and Hanukkah, so many of our religious traditions and practices this time of year highlight the symbolism of light.  With all the “busyness” associated with this time of year, these traditions remind us of the importance of taking time for reflection.  One of my favorite days of the year is the first day of winter when we can note that for the next half of year, the days will get longer, and behold the hope and “light of the world” that symbolizes...