From a grateful parent, after graduation yesterday

Dear Dave and Nora Staff,

Thank-you, all, for the lovely send-off you gave to the class of 2011 yesterday.

Thank-you also for the past four years – Nora was the best thing that ever happened to my son academically. At Nora he found stability, support, respect, challenge, and community, and it has made a huge difference in his life. The Nora School held him to high academic and personal standards, but Nora’s teachers also “cut him slack” when needed, and helped him to develop confidence in himself and his abilities.

I’ve witnessed enough bad school experiences elsewhere to know that teachers can’t perform this way without backing from school administrators, and so am very grateful for The Nora School’s wise administrators who set the tone for the school environment, but also give teachers the freedom, trust, and respect necessary for them to adjust their teaching methods as needed for each student. I am also grateful for the many extra-curricular opportunities Nora gave my son, not only the sports and volunteer service programs, but also the many cultural events, foreign travel opportunities, and wonderful school traditions, and for the teachers and staff who gave of their time to make these events possible.

I have also been very impressed by the balance Nora has struck between school safety and student freedom, and the ease and grace with which teachers and staff have handled the occasional incident. I realize that this type of response is the result of careful contingency planning.

The Nora School is truly a unique and wonderful place, and I am very grateful for all that it has done for my son.