Dear Families and Friends,

It has been a year of many successes for The Good Hope School and we have highlighted some of them in this issue of Under the Arches. With the help of all of you we graduated a class of fourteen college-bound seniors, celebrated the many accomplishments of our talented athletes and artists, and marveled at the academic achievements and proficiencies of our outstanding students. Our alumni continue to dazzle us with their personal and academic triumphs.

During the 2008-2009 school year I took every opportunity to wander our beautiful campus and observe first-hand the myriad of activities that gives me and all of us the ability to sing the praises of this wonderful community. On these walks (listing only a few) I had the chance to:

• Listen to the laughter of Primary Grade students collaborating in the making of a fruit pizza during one of their Enrichment Clubs.
• Observe the enthusiasm of our Intermediate Grade students as they explored our island environments and began their discovery of the value of stewardship.
• Revel at the increase in energy in our Middle School students as they stepped up to the challenges of a more rigorous academic curriculum.
• Watch with wonder the creativity and resourcefulness our Upper School students employed as they prepared for the Intel-affiliated Science Fair.
• Marvel every day at the depth of commitment and expertise of our exceptional faculty as they taught, mentored, and enriched the process of each student’s academic and personal journey.

It is, however, the respect, kindness and consideration that exist between our students – the Kindergartener greeting with hugs the 8th Grade student who works in her classroom every afternoon, or the Upper School student making sure a younger student gets on the right bus – and the commitment of our faculty to foster the quality of these relationships that touch my heart and make our campus truly unique.

This year, an uncertain economy is impacting us all on many levels. Here at The Good Hope School we will be working hard to be responsible stewards without compromising the quality of the Good Hope experience for any of our students. We will succeed together. I want to thank each of you for your willingness to share not only your children but your time, talents, and treasure. It is your commitment to this school and this community that ensures that The Good Hope School will remain a leader in educational excellence.

Warm regards,

Raquel B. Cedano

Head of School