Donald M.Austin - Newark Academy

today
to undertake
our Academy
intellectual curiosity,
growth.
The Acceptance
Donald M. Austin
Welcome students, faculty, members of the board of trustees, alumni, parents,
friends of the school, and my own family and friends.Thank you all for
gathering together to mark the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year
at Newark Academy. I would also like to thank you in advance for your
support, collaboration, patience and good will, as I become the 49th Head
of School of Newark Academy. It is an honor to accept the charge put forth
today by Mr.William Green. I pledge to uphold the mission of Newark
Academy and to work with all of you to make it the best school it can be.
I consider the charge of leading this fine school - this exceptional community
of students, faculty, parents and alumni - to be a tremendous opportunity
and a daunting responsibility. I feel fortunate to be here, and I am determined
to marshal all of the resources from my upbringing, education, professional
experience, and strength of will to succeed. Success, as I define it, however,
will not be about me personally but about our skillful stewardship of Newark
Academy. It will be measured by our ability to fulfill Newark Academy’s
mission and by providing the 555 students here today with an outstanding
education, one that is academically engaging and rigorous, and that fosters
moral development, preparing them for fully realized and meaningful lives.
Since arriving at Newark Academy, I have been trying to get to know the
school and its 233-year history. Recognizing the key enduring qualities of
Newark Academy is essential preparation for a leader to chart a course for
the future. I would like to make several brief observations about what I
view as fundamental aspects of Newark Academy.
The first thing to note, and to say with pride, is that ours is one of the
oldest schools in the country. Regrettably, in our culture we don’t especially
value what is old, but I believe that venerable schools, like people who
reach a certain age, can embody a wisdom and generosity of spirit.Those
qualities are perpetuated through the traditions and stories that become
school lore, and they are passed on from one generation to another by
teachers and students, a kind of
community D.N.A.We hope that
by being part of a school with
such a long and proud past, our
students will feel tied to and
inspired by something deeper
than their own experience.
Newark Academy has endured for
so long by adapting to changing
times and circumstances. It is a
resilient institution, having had
to reinvent itself periodically.War,
fire, dire financial straits in the
1960s, and various ups and downs
in its educational programs have
affected the school’s fortunes and
periodically threatened its survival.
Along this sometimes bumpy road,
the school has forged a rugged
identity. If Newark Academy
were a person, we would say she
or he had character. From my
perspective, as a newcomer, this
explains why the Academy is less
stuffy and self-important than
other distinguished schools of
similar caliber.And it quite possibly
makes us a more dynamic school,
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