April 2, 2021

Dear Parents of the Class of 2021,

I hope that this communication finds you well and successfully navigating the various challenges associated with this pandemic. On behalf of the faculty and staff, I want to thank you for the support you have extended to the School during this school year. With daily diligence, vigilance, and mutual commitment, we find ourselves in the final months of this most unusual school year.

As parents of a son in the senior class of Trinity-Pawling, I know that you and your son are anticipating the milestone of graduation, the ending of one stage of the learning and life journey and the commencement of the next. For educators, the graduation of a senior class represents not only the end of a school year, but the launch of a new journey for the graduates and the confidence that they have been well prepared for the opportunities and discoveries that await them on this journey. In short, it is a joyous time for all: for the seniors, for parents, for teachers, and for the School.

We are planning for a Commencement ceremony at the end of May. As you undoubtedly know, the most recent calendar indicates that Commencement Weekend is scheduled for May 29-30, 2021. It is our plan to have this event on campus, but our plans are subject to the protocols of the State of New York as it relates to public gatherings. We are hopeful that the state will be lifting its threshold of a size of 200 as we approach the end of the spring and the time for high school and college graduations.

With this anticipation in mind, Trinity-Pawling has decided that the Commencement Ceremony for the Class of 2021 will be planned for Sunday, May 30th. For health reasons, the event will be scheduled to be outside, and guests will be limited to immediate family members with a goal of having this number be as close to two per graduate as possible.

As we get closer to the date, I will be in touch with more specific details. Please understand, however, that we are working within a structure over which the School does not have ultimate control. What we can assume is that the event will be expected to be held outdoors with as limited density as possible. Of course, there will be other protocols in place as well, such as distancing and the wearing of face coverings.

On the one hand, I am pleased that we are planning an in-person event to recognize this critically important life transition for you and your son. On the other hand, however, I know that the limitations that must be in place are not what any of us would prefer.

Sincerely,