A Message from Headmaster Philabaum
Hello families,
First, I would be absolutely remiss if I did not take the time to take stock of all that we have to celebrate and be grateful for over the past few weeks.
The Art Walk was a beautiful and wonderful success! I cannot think of an event that so perfectly paired the elevation of the arts with such good, old-fashioned fun. A huge thank you to Ms. Jaha for her hard work in designing and leading this event, to our PSO for prepping and hanging the art work, and to our teachers who stayed late to bring the vision to life! Congratulations to all of our scholars whose work merited prizes, and to all others who year after year prove to me that every child can learn to create something beautiful.
The Music Concerts were, as always, a delightful occasion to have our students celebrate and participate in the formation of choral music. Held once again in the beautiful sanctuary of King of Kings, it was a fitting venue that carries so much meaning and memory for our community. Thank you parents for the time and effort you invested in prepping your children for the concerts. And a huge thank you to Ms. Wells and Ms. Drella who orchestrated the evening after months of hard work and preparation!
Teacher Appreciation Week was a week like no other! Our parents outdo themselves every year, pouring out their hearts in gratitude for our teachers. We know there is no obligation on your part as parents to take these extra steps, and I recognize the sacrifice you make and the impact it has on the hearts of our teachers! Every day a special and absolutely delicious meal was prepared for our teachers, while gifts and kindness abounded. So many contributed to the festivities of this week. A special thank you to Liliana Hernandez for devoting her time and talent to preparing so many professionally made meals for us!
And every day, up until the end, our students are learning, reading, laughing, growing, and delighting in things True, Good, and Beautiful. Like the final stretch of a race, our students, teachers and families are not letting up, but digging deeper to savor every moment we have together.
As our final days at ATE come to a close, we all find ourselves experiencing this change in a myriad of ways. Transitions are hard. Much like the stages of grief, saying good bye to something we love brings with it a range of emotions. I hope underneath it all, we find hope and excitement in the future that awaits us all as we carry that which is best of our community into our new homes ahead. I know I find myself sentimental and wanting to share all that is on my heart as we rally together to finish in this final week. We have developed a special opportunity to share our hearts together, and I invite you all to participate.
In order to commemorate the closing of our campus, we have put together a Closing Ceremonies on the evening of the last day of school. It will be held at 6pm in the courtyard, and it should last about one hour. A few elements of the ceremonies will include:
- An address from myself, our Founding Headmaster Heather Washburn, and GH Arizona Superintendent, Brandon Crowe.
- Bard presentations from our first and final, Bard winners.
- Special memories shared from our Kinder through 5th grade student representatives.
- An acknowledgment of faculty who have been serving at ATE all seven years.
- A ceremonial flag removal.
- A musical presentation.
- And the recitation of the Athenian Pledge, one final time.
I really hope that as many families as possible can make it to say goodbye to one another at ATE, before we carry the best of ATE with us into our futures ahead. Until then, I wish you a wonderful weekend, and I look forward to speaking with you more next week!
With Gratitude,
Stephen Philabaum
Headmaster
Archway Trivium East
