The Lawrenceville School community has suffered a great loss.
We are here together, we are here for you.
Forever and for aye.
The Loss of Jack Reid
Sincerely,
Stephen S. Murray H’54 ’55 ’65 ’16 P’16 ’21
The Shelby Cullom Davis ’26 Head of School
Community Response
The Days Ahead
Though we will all process this tragedy in very personal ways, together, we are steadily moving forward. We are engaging our friends, our mentors, our faith, and our memories, and supporting one another to feel all we need to feel.
For our students, we are modifying our academic schedule and expectations; encouraging mindfulness and taking time to gather in Houses and with friends and trusted adults; extending religious services and counsel; and providing psychological counseling and emotional support.
We acknowledge that our global Lawrenceville community, while not physically here with us, remains affected by our communal challenges. We embrace all Lawrentians, near and far, and strive to provide support and guidance we can in difficult times.
- May 1, 2022
- May 2, 2022
- May 3, 2022
- May 4, 2022
- May 5, 2022
- May 6, 2022
- May 9, 2022
- May 13, 2022
- May 20, 2022
May 1, 2022
News of a Tragic Loss to the Lawrenceville Community
A Message to Alumni
Resources Related to Tragic Loss
Monday Schedule
8 a.m. | Faculty Meeting |
8:30 a.m. | All-School Meeting |
9:30-11:30 a.m. | House and Advisor Meetings |
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. | Group Grief Counseling with the School's Full-Time Psychologists and Open Religious Life Leader Meetings |
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch with Advisors in their Affiliated Dining Areas |
1:40 - 2:25 p.m. | E Period Check-In Time |
2:35 - 3:20 p.m. | F Period Check-In Time |
3:45 p.m. | Optional Athletic Practices (Check In with Coaches) |
Academics
- Students will not be held accountable for homework that was assigned for Monday, May 2.
- There will be no homework assigned for Tuesday, May 3.
- For the remainder of the week, homework is limited to no more than 30 minutes per night for all classes.
- No major assignments are permitted this week.
AP Exam Information
Resources
May 2, 2022
Schedule for May 2, 2022 | |
---|---|
8 a.m. | Faculty Meeting |
8:30 a.m. | All-School Meeting |
9:30-11:30 a.m. | House and Advisor Meetings |
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. | Group Grief Counseling with the School's Full-Time Psychologists and Open Meetings with Religious-Life Leaders |
11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch with Advisors in their Affiliated Dining Areas |
1:40 - 2:25 p.m. | E Period Check-In Time |
2:35 - 3:20 p.m. | F Period Check-In Time |
3:45 p.m. | Optional Athletic Practices and Check-In with Coaches |
Campus Happenings
Academics and Schedule
10 - 10:30 a.m. | Community Meeting |
10:45 - 11:35 a.m. | Check In with D-Period Teachers; Group Grief Counseling Available |
11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Lunch |
1:10 - 2 p.m. | Check In with A-Period Teachers; Group Grief Counseling Available |
2:15 - 3 p.m. | Advisory Meetings |
3:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Atheltics |
8:30 - 10 a.m. | Faculty Meeting |
10 - 10:30 a.m. | Community Meeting |
10:45 - 11:35 a.m. | Check In with B-Period Teachers; Group Grief Counseling Available |
11:45 a.m. - 12:35 p.m. | Check In with C-Period Teachers; Group Grief Counseling Available |
2 - 5 p.m. | Athletics |
- There will be no homework assigned for Tuesday, May 3 and Wednesday, May 4.
- Students may check in with their classroom teachers; grief counselors are available during class times as well.
- No major assignments are permitted this week.
AP Exam Information
Activities
11 a.m. | Therapy Dogs in Bunn Library |
3:30 p.m. | Walk to Big Red Farm |
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. | Bunn Library Friendship Bracelet-Making in the Bath House |
7 - 8 p.m. | Buddhist Meditation in the Chapel with Mr. Jordan |
5:30 - 6:30 p.m. | ECOsplorations Dinner and Dialogue |
7 - 8 p.m. | Drum Circle with Emmanuel Agbeli |
Resources
May 3, 2022
Schedule for May 3, 2022 Day students are welcome to arrive earlier for breakfast and to spend time in their Houses. |
|
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10 - 10:30 a.m. | Community Meeting |
10:45 - 11:35 a.m. | Check In with D-Period Teachers; Group Grief Counseling Available |
11 a.m. | Therapy Dogs in Bunn Library |
11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Lunch |
1:10 - 2 p.m. | Check In with A-Period Teachers; Group Grief Counseling Available |
2:15 - 3 p.m. | Advisory Meetings |
3:30 p.m. | Group Walk to the Big Red Farm |
3:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Athletics |
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. | Friendship Bracelet Making in the Bath House |
7 - 8 p.m. | Buddhist Meditation in the Chapel with Mr. Jordan |
Campus Happenings
Dean of Students
Resources
Academics
Schedule and Activities
8:30-9:50 a.m. | Faculty Meeting |
10:00-10:30 a.m. | Community Meeting |
10:45-11:35 a.m. | Check In with B-Period Teachers; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center; Bunn Library Open to Students |
11:45 a.m.-12:35 p.m. | Check In with C-Period Teachers; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center; Bunn Library Open to Students |
12:30-1:30 p.m. | Lunch |
1-2 p.m. | Therapy Dogs in the Bunn Library |
2-4 p.m. | Wellness Wednesday in Bunn Library |
2-5 p.m. | Athletics |
5:30 p.m. | ECOsplorations Dinner and Dialogue |
6:30 p.m. | Taoist Evening Nature Walk |
6:30-8 p.m. | KAC Lounge Open, with Food and Gratitude Cards Available |
7 p.m. | Drum Circle |
6 a.m. | Buddhist Meditation Exploration |
8 a.m. | Episcopal Holy Communion Exploration |
9-9:30 a.m. | Community Meeting |
9:45-10:35 a.m. | A Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
10:45-11:35 a.m. | C Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
11:45 a.m-1 p.m. | Lunch |
1:15-2:05 p.m. | B Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
2:15-3:15 p.m. | All-Student Meeting with Director of Peter's Place Grief Support |
3:30-4:30 p.m. | Optional Faculty and Staff Meeting with Director of Peter's Place Grief Support |
6:30-7:30 p.m. | Optional Faculty and Staff Meeting with Director of Peter's Place Grief Support |
6:30-8 p.m. | KAC Lounge Open with Food and Gratitude Cards Available |
7 p.m. | Yoga and Meditation |
7 p.m. | Self-Care Crafts in Bunn Library |
7 p.m. | Visiting Poet, Ross Gay (Zoom) |
9-10 a.m. | Community Meeting/Smeeting |
10:10-11 a.m. | E Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
11:10 a.m-12 p.m. | F Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
12-1:15 p.m. | Lunch |
1:30-2:20 p.m. | D Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
2:15-3:15 p.m. | Consultation/Programming TBD |
3:30-5:30 p.m. | Athletics |
7 p.m. | Lantern lighting |
May 4, 2022
Schedule for May 4, 2022 Day students are welcome to arrive earlier for breakfast and to spend time in their Houses. |
|
---|---|
8:30 - 9:50 a.m. | Faculty Meeting |
10:00 - 10:30 a.m. | Community Meeting |
10:45 - 11:35 a.m. | Check In with B-Period Teachers; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center; Bunn Library Open to Students |
11:45 a.m. - 12:35 p.m. | Check In with C-Period Teachers; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center; Bunn Library Open to Students |
12:35 - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch |
1 - 2 p.m. | Therapy Dogs in the Bunn Library |
2 - 4 p.m. | Wellness Wednesday in Bunn Library |
2 - 5 p.m. | Athletics |
5:30 p.m. | ECOsplorations Dinner and Dialogue |
6:30 p.m. | Taoist Evening Nature Walk |
6:30 - 8 p.m. | KAC Lounge Open with Food and Gratitude Cards Available |
7 p.m. | Drum Circle |
Campus Happenings
Resources
Schedule and Activities
6 a.m. | Buddhist Meditation Exploration |
8 a.m. | Episcopal Holy Communion Exploration |
9-9:30 a.m. | Community Meeting |
9:45-10:35 a.m. | A Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
10:45-11:35 a.m. | C Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. | Lunch |
1:15-2:05 p.m. | B Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
2:15-3:15 p.m. | Student Meeting with Director of Peter's Place Grief Support |
3:30-4:30 p.m. | Optional Faculty Meeting with Director of Peter's Place Grief Support |
6:30-7:30 p.m. | Optional Faculty Meeting with Director of Peter's Place Grief Support |
6:30-8 p.m. | KAC Lounge Open with Food and Gratitude Cards Available |
7 p.m. | Yoga and Meditation |
7 p.m. | Self-Care Crafts in Bunn Library |
7 p.m. | Visiting poet, Ross Gay (Zoom) |
9-10 a.m. | Community Meeting/Smeeting |
10:10-11 a.m. | E Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
11:10-12 p.m. | F Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
12-1:15 p.m. | Lunch |
1:30-2:20 p.m. | D Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
2:15-3:15 p.m. | Consultation/Programming TBD |
3:30-5:30 p.m. | Athletics |
7 p.m. | Lantern Lighting |
Joy did not erase the sadness as I feared it might, and the sadness did not entirely prevent me from feeling joy. The human heart is indeed vast and capacious and able to contain so much at any given moment.
We are, each and every one of us, enough, and if ever we come to doubt that truth, we can turn towards each other and, in the intimate connections we share, remember who we truly are and where we have been.
May 5, 2022
Schedule for May 5, 2022 30 minutes of homework per class; no major assessments. |
|
---|---|
6 a.m. | Buddhist Meditation Exploration |
8 a.m. | Episcopal Holy Communion Exploration |
9 - 9:30 a.m. | Community Meeting |
9:45 - 10:35 a.m. | A Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
10:45 - 11:35 a.m. | C Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Lunch |
1:15 - 2:05 p.m. | B Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
2:15 - 3:15 p.m. | All-Student Meeting with Director of Peter's Place Grief Support |
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. | Optional Faculty and Staff Meeting with Director of Peter's Place Grief Support |
6:30 - 7:30 p.m. | Optional Faculty and Staff Meeting with Director of Peter's Place Grief Support |
6:30 - 8 p.m. | KAC Lounge Open with Food and Gratitude Cards Available |
7 p.m. | Yoga and Meditation; Self-Care Crafts in Bunn Library; Visiting Poet, Ross Gary (Zoom) |
May 6 – Lantern Lighting
May 7 - Funeral Service
May 15 - School Remembrance
Academics
- Teachers will take the term grade that students were earning as of Saturday, April 30, as the "baseline," the lowest cumulative grade they may earn for the term.
- All work completed after April 30 may raise this baseline grade, but not lower it. The grade for the term is either the baseline grade or the term end grade - whichever is higher.
- Students must complete required assessments in good faith. Otherwise, students risk forfeiting course credit.
- Even with this shift in our grading policy, we realize that some students may struggle to complete major assignments teachers deem essential for a course credit. In that event, students will be assigned an "Incomplete," and the Dean of Academics Office will work with those students on a case-by-case basis to develop a plan to complete outstanding assignments.
Resources
Campus Happenings
Schedule and Activities
May 6, 2022
Schedule for May 6, 2022 30 minutes of homework per class; no major assessments. |
|
---|---|
9 - 10 a.m. | Community Meeting / Smeeting |
10:10 - 11 a.m. | E Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
11:10 a.m. - 12 p.m. | F Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
12 - 1:15 p.m. | Lunch |
1:30 - 2:20 p.m. | D Period; Drop-In Counseling at Al-Rashid Health Center |
2:20 - 3:15 p.m. | Consultation |
3:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Athletics |
4 p.m. | Self-Care Crafts in Bunn Library |
6 - 8 p.m. | Blanket-Making with Colin's Kids Club |
6:30 p.m. | Henna Art |
7 p.m. | Lantern Lighting (Rain Date: Sunday) |
Upcoming Services for Jack
Resources - Parent Session
Activities
May 9, 2022
Wednesday, May 11: Lantern Lighting
Sunday, May 15: School Remembrance
Community Day
Academic Schedule
May 13, 2022
Dear Lawrenceville Parents and Guardians,
There is a notably renewed energy on campus this week as we continued the steady and deliberate reintroduction of healthy rhythms and academic routines. On Monday, students heard from landscape architect Dequan Spencer of SCAPE design studio in New York, who spoke on urban design for climate resilience as well as on career pathways in landscape architecture for underrepresented communities. Stuart Robertson '11 H’18, Lawrenceville’s artist-in-residence, opened “A Portrait of the Artist as a Living System” in the Hutchins Galleries. His work will be on display through June 3 and represents the School’s welcome return to hosting public art exhibits and receptions, which had been put on hold during the pandemic. Big Red athletics is finishing up the spring season, competing for championships at both the MAPL and state levels. On Tuesday, both the boys' and girls' track squads won their respective NJISAA Prep A titles.
More than 800 alumni returned to campus over the weekend for the first Alumni Weekend since 2019; the three-year hiatus made this reunion all the more meaningful for our graduates, young and old, who came to reconnect with campus and celebrate their enduring Lawrenceville friendships. Despite the rain and heavy wind, there were uplifting gatherings across campus, including during the time-honored tradition of inducting Fifth Form students into Lawrenceville’s Alumni Association. Jack was poignantly recognized in various moments, including in one of the most moving elements of each Alumni Weekend, the Service of Remembrance. Indeed, the loss of Jack is felt profoundly among Lawrentians of every age and House, and has prompted important reflections and discussions as an extended community.
The lantern lighting on Wednesday evening, in honor of Jack and hosted on behalf of Dickinson House by the Pan Asian Alliance, was a powerful tribute. Many of our students gathered with their lanterns and messages to Jack, and at sunset the lanterns were lit and released onto the pond, symbolizing the guiding of soul and spirit. It was a moment of quiet and embrace, of collective peace. I invite you to watch this beautiful video of the event, produced by L10.
Students, faculty, and staff will come together in a final farewell to Jack on Sunday, May 15 at 5 p.m. in the Chapel, where our School chaplain, the Rev. Sue Anne Steffey Morrow H'12, will lead the community through hymns and prayers, readings and remembrances. The Lawrentians will fill the Chapel — and our hearts and souls — with stirring sound. Community members are encouraged to wear vibrant colors and patterns, representing the light and joy that Jack brought to those around him. Parents are invited to join via live stream, and Kirby Arts Center will be open for overflow viewing.
I want to add here too that part of our commitment to Jack’s memory is reckoning with what occurred and seeking a more complete understanding. Yesterday you received the letter from Jon Weiss '75, president of the Board of Trustees. His letter to our parent body outlines the Board's commitment to a careful, independent investigation of these tragic circumstances. Since Monday, May 2, I have been in careful conversation with the leadership of the Board, who have shared from the start the same urgency I feel to get to the truth as best we can. We will continue to report on this, as we are able, in the weeks to come.
Finally, I realize that parents are continuing their own grieving process, and that being away from your child during a time of such sadness and loss can be extremely challenging. Finding the words can be difficult. Knowing how to provide support isn’t always clear. If you were unable to join Dr. Elena Lister’s parent support session on Monday evening, I encourage you to view the recording. Dr. Lister is a senior consulting analyst for grief and loss, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College, and a lecturer in psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Her warm, calm demeanor and considerable expertise were readily apparent and comforting. You can find the recording on the Parent Information & Resources tab on the Veracross parent portal along with related information, including a direct link to Psychological and Counseling Services staff listing and bios in the School directory.
May 20, 2022
The Shelby Cullom Davis ’26 Head of School
@lvilleschool
Campus Well-Being Initiatives
Adopting a Systems Approach to Community Well-Being
Dean of Campus Well-Being
To create a comprehensive and inclusive strategy for enhancing student wellbeing, we have formed a Wellness Team comprising three experienced leaders who will work together to promote our students' physical and mental health. This team consists of the Dean of Campus Wellbeing, the Dean of Students, and the Medical Director. By leveraging their unique expertise and perspectives, this team will spearhead a range of initiatives to foster wellness within our community. Regular meetings of the Wellness Team will ensure that these efforts are proactive and tailored to the specific needs of our students, enabling them to thrive and achieve their full potential.
The search for our Dean of Campus Well-Being is well underway, and we have employed a top-tier recruitment agency to conduct a national search aimed at hiring a true leader in the field of public health.
Community Vision of Wellness
To support the work of the new Dean of Campus Well-Being and to create broad buy-in, we are actively crafting a vision for community health and wellness that articulates in clear and specific terms our collective goals as a community in this area.
We held active visioning workshops with groups of faculty, staff, students, and parents in spring 2023.
This expansive approach to our vision means understanding that wellness involves not just counseling, but ensuring that there are strong programs in place to prevent bullying, sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination. It involves mindfulness and religious explorations, exercise, sleep and multiple other factors, including potential limits on cell phone and social media usage.
Preventing Bullying by Teaching Compassion, Courage, Respect, and Trust
Many of us are painfully and personally familiar with the sometimes mean behavior of adolescents in all schools and the challenges of addressing it. Bullying has long been an explicit major rule violation at Lawrenceville for which students are disciplined.
Defining Bullying
Revised Definition of Bullying in the Student Handbook:
Our code of conduct, however, previously did not include a full definition of bullying and limited the scope of student bullying (following the statutory standard for the state of New Jersey) to actions that are perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion. We have now removed that limitation and added a more complete description:
Bullying typically involves aggressive conduct by a student (the "aggressor") that leads another student reasonably to believe that the aggressor is motivated by a desire to physically or emotionally hurt them or someone else. The conduct usually is one-sided, meaning it doesn’t include behavior that occurs during a conflict where students are mutually involved in some type of disagreement. Bullying can occur in different ways; it can be direct (face-to-face) or indirect (behind someone’s back). It can be verbal, physical, or psychological, e.g., purposefully excluding people from activities and breaking up friendships or other relationships, or electronic, e.g., using the internet, mobile phone, or other electronic equipment to intentionally harm others.
Discipline and Dismissal
New Protocol Added to Student Handbook Regarding the Dismissal of a Student:
For the 2022-23 school year, the School added a new protocol to its Student Handbook to address the supervision of students who have been dismissed but have not yet left campus. The Handbook now provides that "[i]t is the School's practice to require students who have received a notice of dismissal to reside in the infirmary and to remain under adult supervision until they are able to depart campus. Current students are expected to respect these restrictions. The School appreciates that current students may wish to say 'goodbye' to a dismissed student; current students may request permission for this from the Dean of Students. Students who have been dismissed from School or who have withdrawn with discipline pending may not return to campus or take part in School-sponsored events unless they secure advance written permission from the Dean of Students."
Connections with Trusted Adults
In order to build student connections to trusted adults on campus in a more purposeful way, we have added resources to strengthen advising on campus, enhancing guidance for advisors to help ensure weekly advisory meetings build trust, skills, and competence on social and emotional learning objectives. In the fall, Lawrenceville began using Wayfinder, a set of tools and activities that promote student growth and social-emotional learning, to alert prefects to signs of bullying, and to implement more structured communication between prefects and House supervisors. Faculty have been trained and in the winter, the School rolled out weekly check-ins with students using the Waypoint system, as an additional, automated way for advisors to check in with their advisees.
Lawrenceville is a school that uses the "triple threat" model for the faculty. Teachers get to know students in multiple dimensions of their lives at School, not only in the classroom, but on the sports field and in their residence. Dean of Faculty Emilie Kosoff is actively exploring ways to maintain this multi-dimensional approach to building relationships, while easing the pace of life for teachers so that they can more easily engage with students.
Responding to Allegations of Bullying
As we work to implement a rigorous anti-bullying protocol, for which we have called upon expert input and welcome additional expertise, we have put in place an informal protocol where all allegations of potential bullying behavior are reviewed by a team of teachers, Heads of House, and advisors, as well as senior administrators, including, depending on the allegation, the Dean of Students, Director of Counseling, Dean of Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement, and the General Counsel/Director of Risk Management. The protocol includes prompt parental notification. Head of School Steve Murray personally reviews these allegations to ensure that they are being investigated expeditiously, that support is being provided to the student(s) involved, and that appropriate disciplinary or other remedial actions are being taken.
Fostering Positive Student Interactions
Discipline alone, however, is not a sufficient means to deter or prevent bullying. Accordingly, the School has employed other methods for encouraging students to treat each other with respect and to intervene and report inappropriate conduct or bullying without fear of reprisal.
With our entire school assembled at our opening School Convocation in the fall of 2022, Head of School Murray asked our students to make a verbal pledge, which he wrote, to conduct themselves with integrity, compassion, and kindness: "In becoming a Lawrentian, I join generations before me who have led lives of personal honor, respect, and compassion. As a Lawrentian, I hereby pledge to conduct my affairs with integrity, take responsibility for my actions, and defend those less able to defend themselves."
The School is prepared to help fund research examining anti-bullying practices and the connection between bullying, mental health, and depression. We would choose an organization such as the JED Foundation, and then share this research freely with other schools.
In April 2023, the Dean of Students Office hosted a parent and student session with the nonprofit organization Social Awakening on the topic of digital citizenship education as part of a concerted effort to provide education around positive social media use.
We launched a Restorative Justice initiative this year that promotes and builds community and trust when instances of harm have occurred. The School hosted open training for faculty and staff in the fall and then again in February, and we are planning further training and involvement for students in the near term. Head of School Murray participated in the training, which he said he found to be "tremendously impactful in encouraging a healthy and inclusive culture." One of the key elements of Restorative Justice is Circle Practice, where people come together in a circle to discuss issues such as harmful behavior and think intentionally about how to live in the community with one another.
Supporting Students through Counseling and Psychological Services
The School arranged for an external review by the American College Health Association's Health and Wellness Consulting. The review included assessing the mental health services and programs being provided at Lawrenceville and making recommendations on how we can better meet the mental health needs of its students. The School is in the process of implementing their recommendations.
The School has four psychologists on staff. Our data shows that the majority of our students, at one time or another during their time at Lawrenceville, seek support through our counseling services. We are in the process of adding additional counseling support.
Since last April, the Office of Counseling Psychological Services has worked to increase its profile on campus and to reduce the stigma that students often feel when seeking mental health counseling. They have held open house sessions for students to meet the counselors, and we have had speakers in our weekly School Meeting discussing issues such as coping and resilience.
Related to this effort to normalize the seeking of therapeutic solutions to stress and anxiety are our Wellness Wednesdays, a program launched this past fall, which included a dedicated space with a variety of calming activities, including music, aromatherapy, board games, art supplies, and visits from therapy dogs.
On April 12, 2023, the School hosted Community Wellness Day to engage the full campus community in a holistic approach to well-being. We are partnering with local providers to offer workshops and sessions that appeal to the varying needs of our campus community, including tips to improve sleep, nutrition, and time management, as well as an assortment of stress-reduction activities to enhance physical and mental well-being.
The School has an academic support office, headed by a licensed psychologist, with four full-time employees in addition to part-time specialists. These professionals work with students on time management, stress management, and executive function. Since last spring, we have added staffing to this area of student support.
Identifying and Supporting At-Risk Students
An essential part of any wellness program involves identifying and supporting students who are undergoing academic, mental health, or other challenges. Last spring, to help ensure a holistic look at student well-being, our Deans group and Health and Wellness staff established a weekly meeting to ensure even closer coordination. This “Deans and Docs” group includes our Dean of Students, Dean of Academics, and Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement as well as our Medical Director, Director of Counseling, and Director of Educational Support.
This past fall, the School engaged Dr. Ellen Utley of the JED Foundation, a leading non-profit organization that focuses on protecting the emotional health of adolescents and preventing suicide, to provide training for faculty on current trends of mental health in young people; the teacher’s role as a help giver; how to identify a young person in distress; non-suicidal self-injurious behavior; strategies to engage with teens; modeling behavior as adults; and creating supportive classroom environments.
In early February, Dr. Elena Lister, a psychiatrist and bereavement expert at Weill Cornell Medical College, offered a workshop for our faculty on managing loss in a close-knit community. Her Q&A was especially insightful and constructive for our faculty.
Dr. Utley returned later in February on Family Weekend to provide additional training and guidance to both faculty and parents.
Providing Students with Tools to Address Academic Stress
The School recognizes that students today are under significant pressure to do well academically. This will be a focus of the Dean of Campus Well-Being. To date, to better understand these stressors and address them, the School has undertaken two projects, one system-wide and one student-focused.
In order to examine sources of stress and anxiety that come from academic pressures, our Dean of Academics, in partnership with a consultant from Independent School Management, is leading a multi-year assessment of our daily schedule and our academic calendar. The scheduling consultant is a clinical psychologist, who places student well-being at the center of this process.
A workshop this past fall involving many members of the community produced the following statement to guide the work:
We are going to be a school that teaches students to excel, succeed, and believe in themselves without compromising our well-being.
We assert that flourishing is an essential outcome for students who will lead lives of learning, integrity, and high purpose. Part of being the best and seeking the best for all includes well-being. It is not just limited to academic, college, and employment success.
The Science of Well-Being
The School introduced an independent study for seniors in spring of 2023 around the popular Yale course, The Science of Wellbeing with Dr. Laurie Santos. As part of this course, students practiced a number of different happiness tips with the goal of rewiring habits to improve well-being, and will engage in community service or a community-oriented project. Students met twice a week in the evening, where different speakers from the Lawrenceville community led programming focused on life skills and college readiness, as well as opportunities for personal reflection, and once a week with their advisor to discuss the course content and check in on their projects. Students will share their experiences at the Academic Showcase at the conclusion of the term.
Reviewing Emergency Response Protocols
Lawrenceville has taken steps to improve its emergency response protocols. In the summer of 2022, the School provided full key access to all campus buildings to the Lawrence Township police. At the same time, the School completed a major mapping project that gives fire, police, and other first responder agencies access to “critical response maps,” which are collaborative response floor plans that can be used to coordinate emergency response inside buildings and throughout campus. For many years, the School has provided annual CPR training to all faculty; it will be reviewing this training to ensure it reflects best practices.
Anniversary Statement
We experienced the tragic loss of Jack Reid on April 30, 2022 and through great sorrow, came together in meaningful ways as a community. The Special Oversight Committee of the Board of Trustees conducted a five-month review of the circumstances surrounding Jack’s death by suicide, and produced a summary of findings that were shared with the community in December 2022.
April 30, 2023
The Lawrenceville School and William and Elizabeth Reid, parents of Jack Reid, have reached an agreement in the wake of the tragic loss of Jack, a Fourth Former in Dickinson House, who died by suicide on April 30, 2022. Jack was universally regarded as an extremely kind and good-hearted young man, with an unwavering sense of social and civic responsibility and a bright future. We continue to mourn this loss.
As we seek to improve as a community, we have examined our role and take responsibility for what we could have done differently. Lawrenceville’s top priority is the physical, social, and emotional health, safety, and wellbeing of our students. We recognize that in Jack’s case, we fell tragically short of these expectations.
Jack was a victim of bullying and other forms of cruel behavior at Lawrenceville over the course of a year, including in the form of false rumors in person and online. When these behaviors were brought to the attention of the School, there were steps that the School should in hindsight have taken but did not, including the fact that the School did not make a public or private statement that it investigated and found rumors about Jack that were untrue. There also were circumstances in which the involvement of an adult would have made a difference.
In addition, on April 30, when the student who previously had been disciplined for bullying Jack was expelled for an unrelated violation of School rules, the School allowed him to return to Dickinson House largely unsupervised where students gathered, including some who said harsh words about Jack. School administrators did not notify or check on Jack. That night, Jack took his life, telling a friend that he could not go through this again. The School acknowledges that bullying and unkind behavior, and actions taken or not taken by the School, likely contributed to Jack’s death.
In the ensuing months, the School undertook an investigation of the circumstances leading up to Jack's death. Reflecting on those findings, and discussing them with the Reid family, we acknowledge that more should have been done to protect Jack.
Today's multi-faceted settlement with the Reids is aimed at honoring Jack, taking appropriate responsibility, and instituting meaningful changes that will support the School’s aspirations of becoming a model for anti-bullying and student mental health.
Over the past year, we have focused on four broad lines of action: training and educational programs, House culture and healthy socializing, the structure of our Dean of Students office and disciplinary protocols, and general health and wellness. In addition to efforts undertaken over the past 12 months, we are planning the following:
- Lawrenceville will contract with a specialist on school bullying to help construct policies and training to identify and effectively address the behaviors that lead to bullying and cyberbullying.
- Lawrenceville will contribute to the Jack Reid Foundation, a foundation established by the Reid family focused on education and prevention of bullying.
- Lawrenceville will hire a Dean of Campus Wellbeing. This will be an endowed position focused on the variety of student mental health issues educational institutions face.
- Lawrenceville faculty, professional staff, and students will participate in trainings and workshops to raise awareness and promote better understanding of adolescent mental health.
- Consulting with outside experts as needed, Lawrenceville will continue to review and make improvements to its emergency response protocols and crisis response plans; it similarly will review the safety training it provides to faculty and staff to assure it aligns with best practices.
- Lawrenceville will make a recurring gift to a mental health organization to support research and best practices for suicide prevention in school environments.
There is, of course, nothing that will ever make up for the tragedy of losing this promising and beloved young man. But it is the hope of all of us that Jack's memory is honored.