Compassion

The silver lining around much of the sadness experienced by the Shorecrest community in recent months has been the extraordinary levels of compassion, support, and generosity that students, teachers, alumni, and families have demonstrated. Denny Stypinski said that he thinks if he told Kristin Leary and the Shorecrest Cares group that he needed a car, they would want to know what make and model he wanted. He and many others are overwhelmed by the support the community offers in a time of need.

Back in the fall, after Hurricane Irma, a group of fathers gave gift cards to teachers who had experienced loss of food and property. Many of those fathers then spent a weekend helping teachers and staff repair damages to their homes. Their generosity and actions inspired others to provide acts of kindness.

Clearly, our children are seeing their parents demonstrate compassion and they are following the example. Diego Duran-Medina, our Director of Service Learning, regularly shares stories of the kindness, generosity, and leadership he sees students taking with a wide range of service organizations. Developing a commitment to social responsibility is a key element of our Mission at Shorecrest. We invest resources to ensure our students are given opportunities to engage in meaningful service-learning experiences. Our efforts are aligned with the lessons that families are teaching their children at home. The future of our society depends upon our children being committed to social responsibility and having a deep understanding of how compassion enriches the lives of the full community.

I am thankful for the acts of kindness and compassion that students and adults have shown, not only with those most impacted by recent tragedies and loss, but also to each other. In times like these, our community becomes our extended family. We have all been comforted by seeing the kindness of others.

With Appreciation and Cheers!

Mike