We believe joy and laughter belong here.

This sentence is gleaned from the statement of values for the College, drafted and ratified as part of the creation of Our Knight Vision, the strategic plan for RSGC we shared with our community in the fall of 2019.

Like our Georgian guarantee to “Know and Love” each student, our belief in and commitment to joy and laughter, enshrined in the mission, vision and values of the College, is something we invoke with a commitment to authentically bring these words to life. I really cannot imagine many organizations, including schools, that would use words like love, joy and laughter with such intentionality and purpose.

As we returned from our second year of lockdown, distance learning, alternate days, virtual clubs and assemblies, and tightly cohorted student groupings, our theme this year at RSGC is Connection and Community. While the teaching and learning have certainly been a significant challenge, it is the reemergence of these two key aspects of the magic of RSGC—connection and community—that are the highest priority for us this year.

At our editorial team meeting for this issue of The Shield back in September, we landed on the themes of joy, laughter, love, connection and community. There has been so much disconnection, isolation and darkness, yet the sustaining power of these Georgian traits has endured and strengthened. You’ll find in these pages stories and articles that will, I hope, bring light to a dark winter night. We hope you enjoy this issue.

My best wishes to our entire community for a merry Christmas, happy holidays and a prosperous new year.

Stephen Beatty ’86

Headmaster