To the Class of 2026, thank you not only for your relentless commitment to The Haverford School but also for simply making Haverford a home. Your character has been seen and appreciated, whether in sports, theatre, academia, or extracurriculars.
This community will remember your names long after you’ve departed. We will remember the way you walked through the hallways, supported one another through classes, and smiled at underclassmen. But most importantly, we will remember how you taught us what it means to be a Ford, just as your predecessors did for you.
Recently, we have appreciated you more than ever. We remember your footprints more fondly after you’ve taken your last steps. We still listen for your voices long after they stop ringing through the halls. We miss your presence now that the dining hall feels empty, and the school feels a little less excited since you’ve staged your last play, delivered your last speech, performed in your last ensemble, and built your last robot.
Rest and relaxation are crucial for cognitive development and physical healing.
To the rest of us, through the ebbs and flows of the school year, we have gained strength, but we have also been dragged through each month more rapidly than the last. Our fear of falling behind leads us to fight our natural need for recovery.
So lie in your warm bed under your snug covers to rest. You don’t need to be anywhere else, doing anything else. Sitting might feel like a waste of time because the brain associates self-worth with productivity, but rest and relaxation are crucial for cognitive development and physical healing.
Take the opportunity to write a letter, give someone a call, and share your unique passions with those around you. The student body has built a strong community over the past year. Let us not lose it for the next.