SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

Finally, the moment we had all been waiting for was here. For the 2021-2022 school year, Nightingale was 100 percent back in-person with all students and members of the professional community present in the Schoolhouse for the first time since Tuesday, March 9, 2020.

Though rain clouds on Thursday morning threatened to dampen the spirits of our Lower School students, they arrived ready to go with obvious smiles behind their masks and made their way inside through our blue and black doors. Clear blue skies and our very own Nighthawk welcomed the addition of our students in Classes V-XII on Friday and just like that, the school year had begun! Even our youngest Nighthawks were present for these first days as they participated in Kindergarten Orientation donning their new Nightingale tunics.

“I can already tell how exciting it is to have all of our Upper Schoolers on the 3rd floor again,” Head of Upper School Andrea Kassar reflected. The laughing in the hallways and the energy is starting to feel much more normal again and it’s something that we’ve all been looking forward to so much.”

Relationships are at the heart of a Nightingale education, and while we did our best in our virtual and hybrid worlds, we now know that nothing can truly replace the experience of our entire community being together again. The feeling of greeting a friend face to face, walking through the doors, and engaging in a full day of learning here at 20 East 92nd Street is not one we will ever take for granted.

Assistant Head of School for Diversity and Equity Johara Sealy echoed this sentiment as well. “I am most excited about being in community in person and having the opportunity to reconnect with students and other community members, as we continue to build and strengthen relationships.”

Thanks to the hard work of the Safety Committee and the continued partnership with our families, Nightingale is ready for a successful year that educates the minds and hearts of our students and protects the health and safety of our entire community.