The 2020/21 school year, the 57th of our history, began as no other year has before.

Before the arrival of the boys on campus on September 8, it had been 26 weeks and five days since a student had been inside the school. In that time, all of our students finished their current grade, the Class of 2020 graduated, three babies were born and three parents were lost to colleagues. Winter turned to spring turned to summer on an empty campus. One of the more poignant reminders for me of the emptiness of the campus were the many pairs of winter boots lined up carefully in the hallways, frozen in time from the last day of school on March 5 until they were tidied up in the heat of July.

Of course, life marched on. As shared in the summer issue of The Shield, our College, and all that RSGC is, did not freeze on March 5. It was re-imagined, and it flourished. Only the school buildings were closed; the essential parts of the RSGC experience continued.

Among the most important characteristics we can engender in our boys as we prepare them for their future are adaptability and resilience. This issue of The Shield considers five stories on four dates, each demonstrating these Georgian traits lived out loud.

On behalf of the boys and my colleagues, best wishes for our entire community for a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year.