Greetings! 

Reunion Weekend was a wonderful event with over 130 alumni, former teachers, and friends coming together to share their love for Day School. A highlight for me was meeting Aleesia Tolliver Johnson '95, Innovation Officer for Indianapolis Public Schools. Aleesia's passion for educating low-income students led her to Teach for America and then KIPP Indy, an innovative charter school focusing on grit, where Aleesia became School Leader.  She credits Day School because it was cool to be smart and, most importantly, her teachers "allowed me to believe virtually anything was possible for me if I worked hard enough."

The skills, passion, empathy, and talents Aleesia developed here are very much in line with the Day School Portrait of a Graduate and with what leading educators are urging schools to focus on. Harvard Fellow and bestselling author Tony Wagner outlines the 7 key skills necessary for students to be "future ready" lifelong learners in a short article and video. We hope to screen Wagner's new documentary, Most Likely to Succeed, later this fall.

The school year is off to a fast and exciting start and there is a lot to look forward to this fall. I hope to see everyone at the Friends All-School Picnic on Sunday, September 13 (1-4pm in front of the school) and I encourage you to volunteer (click here) at our Fall Festival booth (October 5-10). In the meantime, I hope you will follow me on twitter or stop in to say hello. My door is always open.

Sincerely,

Jarin Jaffee
Head of School
@HOSatEDS