A Lot to Look Forward to

Summer has finally arrived, and I hope you are enjoying it! Those of us still here are trying to adjust to the empty classrooms and hallways. Our campus just isn’t the same without the hustle and bustle that comes with each school year, but we are looking forward to seeing some friendly faces as our summer programs kick off this week.

In my last note to you, I talked about the long list of athletic accomplishments our student-athletes and coaches have achieved this year. Now, I want us to take a look at the bigger picture. By no means am I going to be able to cover all the good news. To do so would take more space than I have to work with and more time than you have to read. But I would like to point out a few things that, in my opinion, really illustrate what it is that makes this place so special.

This year alone, Upper School students completed more than 10,000 hours of servant leadership.
Darlington had the largest group of participants at Rome’s annual International Festival in April.
The Class of 2009 earned over $5.5 million in college scholarships, not including HOPE.
More than 150 children from Northwest Georgia and Atlanta participated in Darlington’s first-ever Tri for the Kids youth triathlon last month, which promoted wellness and raised more than $14,000 for the local Boys & Girls Club.
Darlington’s winter musical, “Bye Bye Birdie,” involved students from all three divisions and successfully revived the tradition of performing in the Old Gym.
Bert Thornton, co-president of Waffle House, visited Darlington and gave our students great advice on how to be successful in business and in life.
Our entire school community rallied around an eighth-grader who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, hosting a Relay for Life event in her honor.
Forty-five Lower School students and 23 seventh-graders were recognized by Duke TIP.
We have three National Merit Finalists, one National Achievement Scholar and one National Hispanic Scholar.
Our school family has expressed full support of our mission and our program by helping us raise over $60 million of our $90 million campaign goal, even in the midst of economic uncertainty.

Successes are happening daily in every classroom, in every department, at every division, and we are so glad you are a part of it. Here at Darlington, we are very fortunate to be able to attract such a diverse group of bright and talented students, faculty and staff members. Along with that, you have provided a strong, reliable support system within our parent base. I am notorious for saying that together we are achieving great things, and I think this year was a solid testament to that.

But it’s time to think about 2009-10. As the construction crew puts the finishing touches on our new Middle School facility and its surrounding areas, we are already anticipating our August move-in date. For those of you who will have children in grades 5-8 next year, they (and you!) are in for a real treat. This new, environmentally friendly building is not only a beautiful complement to our campus, but it will certainly strengthen our entire program. I am excited about having lunch with students in their new common area, seeing them do hands-on science experiments in their state-of-the-art science labs, and listening to them perform beautiful music in their very own band room.

We have a lot to look forward to! Thank you again for all you have done and continue to do to help us provide the best possible education for your child(ren). If you are planning to return next year and have not yet turned in your re-enrollment contracts, please do so at your earliest convenience. Enjoy a safe and happy summer, and we’ll see you in August!

Tom