Scattergood

Dear Friends and Members of the School Committee,

After long and deep consideration in the weeks following July, Amy and I have decided that this will be our last year at Scattergood Friends School. We’re at a point on our journey together where we have clarity that it is time to make a change.

We did not come quickly to this sense. These past six years have sustained and changed us personally in ways that have matched our work for others and for the school’s well-being. For us, as it is for Scattergoodians young and old, this school has mysterious and magical qualities which call us to explore our understanding of others in ways that bring us to rise above our inherently selfish natures. We joined this school to nourish and steward that of the sacred in each human being regardless of their circumstances. Our presence here in these past six years has truly been a blessed part of our lives, and for this we cannot be thankful enough.

I look forward in the coming months to sustain our prevailing optimism in Scattergood’s future. I am steadily focused on my goals to support staff and allow them to fully pursue their passion for the care and education of students, to support furthered student recruitment and fundraising, and to nurture new opportunities for the school to grow and diversify its community of support. Launching a Middle School day program beginning in the Fall of 2020, increasing participation and income from summer programs, exploring the viability of a postgraduate program, and keeping a sharp eye on finances are in primary focus this year for me.

This year we have a renewed mix of staff, students, and School Committee members who are all dedicated to the mission and to Quaker values. Our current collection has enormous capacity to engage with the inevitable challenges this year and bring the school into a period of new growth.

Working with the School Committee has been especially enriching. We’ve walked together on this journey and saved the school from closing in the most challenging of financial circumstances. I believe that this School Committee is a model of how governing boards should operate to achieve agreement and support a head in service of a school’s mission. I have been given room to work with dedication to the school’s operations and care for others. And I have been rewarded with the Committee’s insights, guidance, and constant support.

I will remain undiminished in my work this year. In Ruth Hampton’s words, “we’ll love Scattergood into another year of existence” as it has been loved in each and every year since 1890. When Amy and I leave, we look forward to renewal that new settings and responsibilities will create for us.

In Love and Light,

Thomas Weber
Head of School

From Scattergood Friends School Committee:
Another student from Afghanistan has now found Scattergood—he is a great match for our Quaker community and is trying to find a way to be a part of the school. Latif B. lives in Kabul and is deeply interested in helping others in his country, especially those in need. Here is link to a New York Times article about how Latif with friends created the Wall of Kindness in Kabul: The New York Times KABUL JOURNAL

Latif’s family does not have money for his tuition or transportation so we are looking for sponsors so Latif can attend Scattergood. To procure a visa the U.S. Government requires he ensure there are sufficient funds for all three years of school. We already have received pledges for nearly one third of the amount needed, and are seeking other individuals and organizations to make three-year pledges so Latif can experience this Quaker educational community that would nurture his both his mind and his generous soul.

Read the attached document for more about Latif’s story and how to help, and please pass this along to organizations or individuals who could help make this dream come true! Contact Thomas Weber, Head of School, to discuss sponsorships: tweber@scattergood.org or (206) 794-8595.