b'PRINCIPALS MESSAGEWhen I became Greenwoods Principal in 2018, I expectedI would face challenges in my roleproblems to solve, new initiatives to get o the ground, planning for the schools future. I certainly did not anticipate one of those challengesto be contending with a global pandemic.I have been looking for a phrase to sum up the complexities posed by the pandemic, and I recently found one: what we are facing in COVID\x7f19 is a wicked problem. A wicked problem is a social or cultural problem that is incredibly diicult to tackle. These problems have many facets, and most of them are interconnected, meaning you cannot change one without aecting another.A wicked problem such as COVID\x7f19 could easily have paralyzed usbut that is not what I have seen from the Greenwood community over the last several months. Students, sta, parents and alumni have demonstrated not only resilience, optimism and compassion, but innovation. A great example is the Alumni Instagram Live Series hosted by our Alumni Executive in the spring. While they could not host the reunion event they had planned on, this group found a way to bring the alumni community together and connect through a shared experience.In this edition of Evergreen, you will read about some of the contributions Greenwood grads have made to solving this wicked problem, from working on the front lines in the ICU to developing potentially life-saving antibodies; you will also learn more about Greenwoods shift to online learning in response to the pandemic. An equally complex, and no less critical, problem we are facing as a society is that of systemic racism. As a school, Greenwood has a responsibility to ensure that we are doing our part to end anti-black racism, and to look critically at our own systems and structures to identify and eliminate bias. In relecting on what we can do to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive school environment, we have identiied several action items that will be addressed during this school year; you can read more about the steps we are taking in the following pages. However, please know that this is only the beginning. We are dedicated to continuing this work in the coming years, and to looking for ways to involve our community in creating real change. It is safe to say that the 2020\x7f2021 school year will be a year like no other. While there is signiicant work ahead when it comes to these problems,I look forward to working toward solutions with all of you.Sarah BruceOctober 2020Greenwood1GRWD206_Evergreen_2020_v4.indd 1 10/5/20 11:47 PM'