Meaningful moments at Breck this week

Dear Breck community,

We all know the adage of fish who don't know what water is because they are swimming in it. At Breck, we can sometimes forget the level of excellence in which we are swimming. As I reflect on the past week, I am filled with immense pride and gratitude for the extraordinary work of our faculty, staff, and students that so easily goes unperceived because we are so accustomed to it. Each of you has the perspective of your individual experience at Breck, and I'm writing today to give you a window into the extraordinary moments that routinely define our everyday experiences across all three divisions of our school.

The week began with a difficult decision Monday night: should we cancel school on Tuesday because of the cold temperatures? The team that represents security, facilities, transportation, and academic programs collaborated throughout the evening on Monday to assess this question. Over the weekend, our facilities and grounds team had been caring for our almost 500,000 square foot building and keeping it operational in extreme conditions; this affirmed our campus was safe, warm, and ready for learning. Our remarkable transportation team was prepared to get to our bus garage at 3:00 a.m., as they do, on days of extreme winter weather. With great pride and enthusiasm again this week they greeted students at their doors and dropped them off safely at our school door. For safe measure, our facilities team had our school transport van in our parking lots to pick up students and staff and bring them into our building. I am extremely proud and grateful that we have the people in place to be able to maintain our educational continuity for our children and families when so many others had to close their doors.

That decision allowed us to proceed with the week as planned. On Wednesday, we had one of the most incredible MLK symposiums that I’ve ever experienced. To be able to live out the values of equity, justice, and service from Dr. King’s legacy for the 24th year in a row is an immense honor. From the faculty and student volunteers who participated in sessions, to the programming that our students experienced, to the community partners and artists who shared their stories and knowledge, the day was phenomenal. Special thanks to our Melrose Family Center for Leadership and Equity team as well as all of our families, faculty, staff, and alumni who volunteered throughout the day.

Thursday and Friday were business as usual. That is -- the extraordinary is ordinary for our students as our stellar faculty executed deep and engaging learning experiences. As examples, our Upper School Advanced English Scholarship and Research class traveled to New York City to further their research in the archives at Yale among other incredible trip stops, our 7th grade students are culminating their History Day projects, and 1st grade traveled to the Minnesota Zoo as they prepare for their upcoming project on geology and the Pacific Ring of Fire. These are just a few examples of how we live up to our academic promise every day at Breck, and I’m incredibly proud of how our teachers curate unique and distinctive learning opportunities for our children.

Lastly, over the last few weeks, our students continue to excel in the arts and athletics. For example, Boys Swim & Dive won the True Team State meet, Girls Hockey defeated both Blake and Gentry Academy, Boys Hockey overtook Southwest Christian and Waconia, Boys Basketball defeating Wisconsin Lutheran and Minnehaha, Girls Basketball won against MPA, and Gymnastics finished first in the MGGOA Invitational to name a few. Later today, our one act play will debut its version of Little Women ahead of the Minnesota State High School League's one act play competition, and I’m already looking forward to an incredible showcase of talent at our school-wide art show on February 20.

As we move through these cold weeks of January, let us celebrate the people and moments that make our community exceptional. Last week, I wrote to you about the passing of our beloved Head of School Mr. Sam Salas. For those of you who didn’t know Mr. Salas, his whole life’s work was dedicated to making these moments possible for students who are in our halls today. It is a privilege to carry his vision forward.

In partnership,

Natalia R. Hernández
Head of School