May 1, 2020
Dear ASMS Community, 
 
As we close out Spring Term and move towards the last few weeks of our school year, I have spent time reflecting on just how far our community has come and all that we have journeyed through together. For most of us, the spring term feels like something out of a dystopian movie. The outbreak of COVID-19 disrupted our lives and altered what would typically have been a meaningful close to the school year at ASMS.
 
However, even in the few short regular weeks of the term, our students began what I refer to as “a winning streak.” Here is a summary of their outstanding achievements:


  • Students placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the Mobile Math Olympiad.



  • Our students were selected as the Regional Winners of the highly competitive Toshiba Exploravision competition for their self-immunizing joint replacement project proposal.



  • William Howton and Gregory Li were the only high schoolers chosen to present their research at a USA Math Conference.

We are immensely proud of our students. I say this not just about the accolades they received but also about their resilience in the wake of COVID-19. Within a matter of days, our students began learning, studying, and completing their coursework in new settings, with new methods, and by new strategies. Although it was a significant transition, I cannot help but have the highest admiration for how our community pulled together to make it all possible. We can say we closed our campus, but we can also say that we did not cease our commitment to education.
 
Together, we have made the best of the past several weeks. Our faculty members embraced online tools and developed innovative strategies for teaching. Students found new study spaces and gained pets as study buddies. We found different ways to encourage one another , cheer each other on , and keep our community strong . Our students even developed creative ways to continue hall competitions virtually with everything from a Tik Tok competition to a walk/jog mileage competition. We also did not give up on honoring and celebrating our senior class , despite not being on campus with them.
 
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the loss of this term as well. In addition to the lost traditions, memories, and relationships, we lost a member of our community. Dr. James is sorely missed by all of ASMS, and we are communicating with his family about ways to honor him and continue his legacy at the school for years to come. Grieving has become a painful but necessary part of our term, and I am thankful that we can turn to one another for comfort and support.
 
Yet even in grief, rays of hope shine through. As much as it has taken away, COVID-19 has given to us in small ways as well. For example, the use of technology throughout the pandemic sparked an opportunity to further update and integrate technology into our curriculum and operations. Keidrick Wooten has been promoted to Director of IT for the school, and we will be hiring a Database Coordinator this summer. They will take the lead on several new initiatives related to Microsoft Teams and Blackbaud. Our students, too, have found ways to embrace technology and give back during COVID-19. Junior Emma Joly started Laboratory Online – a YouTube channel where she posts weekly STEM videos for 6th-10th graders.
 
Before the spring semester ends, I want to offer an update on our future. Our entire leadership team is hard at work to ensure a meaningful and robust close to the school year, a smooth transition for the incoming class of ASMS students, and a successful start next year. Of specific note for our leadership team is that Ms. Cooley , our Director of Finance, will be retiring this summer. She has championed ASMS through some of the school’s most challenging and best days, and she will be irreplaceable. We are close to completing the hiring process for her successor. In addition, Ms. Cooley served as the Co-Advisor to SGA this past year. I am excited to share that our Assistant Director of Communications and Alumni Outreach, Allyson McMaken, will be joining History Department faculty member, Derek Barry, as the new SGA Co-Advisor for the 2020-2021 school year.
 
We have also started a long-overdue project. A covered sidewalk is being installed that will connect the boys’ dorm to the Administration and Humanities buildings. This will keep our students dry when it rains. 
 
As we continue to look ahead, we certainly do not have all the answers yet, but as soon as we do, we will aim to be as efficient and transparent as possible in sharing them with our community. I wish our students all the best as they enter exams. Thank you to each one of you for your perseverance, patience, and love for ASMS. I know this will be a school year that we will never forget.
John Hoyle, Ph.D.
President