Dear Sophomore Families,

We are writing to you about recent activities which have concerned us greatly, and which affect
upper school students on both sides of the Close. As some of you know, a document created
through Google Docs has come to our attention. The central feature of something created in
Google Docs is that it can have multiple contributors and continue being created and edited by
all contributors at once. Some of you have seen this document, although many of you have not.
Because this document casts a worrisome light on the relationship between some of the students
at our two schools, we want to give you a sense of why it came about, what is in it, what the
schools are doing in response, and what you can do as well.
In the context of the news over the past few months about sexual behavior on college campuses,
NCS seniors and sophomores have come together in a positive way to propose that NCS students
and St. Albans students share similar co-curricular classes and workshop experiences. In
particular, sophomores have been interested in joining together for their Health and Human
Sexuality class, and seniors have recognized the benefit in sharing some of these conversations
as they look toward college and increasing independence. St Albans is a wonderful partner with
NCS in raising and educating all our students, and we are working together to support both boys
and girls in addressing social issues. Some NCS students have felt that collecting anecdotal
information about negative social and sexual experiences might help in furthering the
development of coeducational programs on the Close. This is why NCS girls started the Google
Doc.
The document appears to have many possible authors, and includes girls detailed descriptions of
unwanted sexual advances at parties, of inappropriate sexual comments, and of sexual and social
behaviors that our schools do not condone. At some point, the document was shared with some
St. Albans students. Several girls, understandably upset by all the events described in the
document, reached out to several adults in the NCS community including Dean Jessica Clark and
Upper School Counselor Ivette Bohlen to help, showing them a version of the document and
additional social media responses. Jessica Clark had the opportunity, soon after receiving this
information, to meet with the entire sophomore class and talk to them about their safety, their use
of social media, their goals for the document, and their relationships with one another. She
acknowledged that some girls in the class would not have seen this Google Doc and would not
know what she was referencing. She emphasized to the girls that anyone who has experienced
something inappropriate, scary, or hurtful should immediately speak to their parents and/or find a
trusted adult at school to talk to, and also explained that sharing hurtful experiences with
approximately 70 other people is not safe. She reiterated our message that they need to be
thoughtful about social media, and not put any personal information on social media that cannot
or should not be shared. This is a message we communicate in our Health and Human Sexuality
National Cathedral School
Mount Saint Alban
Washington, DC 20016

T 202.537.3600
F 202.537.5743
www.ncs.cathedral.org

class, in assemblies, in homerooms, in workshops, and whenever individual students are

struggling and seek support from us. We hope you are communicating the same message at
home as well, which would make it all the more powerful and supportive for the girls. This
morning, I also met with the sophomore class and spoke with them about this issue, as did Head
of School Kathy Jamieson. We particularly emphasized their safety as well as our collective
desire to move forward as one community, supporting everyone on both sides of the Close.
At this point, NCS and St. Albans are working together to address the concerns identified in this
document and in subsequent discussions with students. When we return from the Winter Break,
we will continue this work.
There are several things you can do at this point, and the first one is to talk with your daughter.
Some students had nothing to do with the Google Doc and know virtually nothing about it; some
students know about it but did not contribute; some students contributed to it. You can talk with
your daughter about any difficult experiences she might have had in social situations. Please
emphasize to her that she should always bring these issues immediately to trusted adults in your
family or circle of friends, or here at NCS. Please open a conversation with your daughter about
what is happening in her social life and what choices she is having to make. If you would like
our help in communicating with your daughter or in seeking special support for her, please call
Jessica Clark, Ivette Bohlen, or me at any time.
Finally, please be especially vigilant about parties, as many of the described behaviors are
reported to have occurred at peoples homes. Do not serve alcohol to minors; always be present
and involved when your daughter hosts a party; do not let your daughter attend parties at homes
where alcohol is served, or where the parents will not monitor the party closely; call the parents
of the hosting student before the party to find out whether and how the party will be chaperoned
and how students will be kept safe.
Please be assured that whenever we hear about a party, we call the parents and let them know
what we have heard. We can be a very strong team together to keep your daughters safe and
happy, and we are grateful for your support in that.
Thank you for working with us to move forward in a positive and supportive way.

Sarah Pelmas
Associate Head of School and Head of the Upper School

National Cathedral School

Mount Saint Alban
Washington, DC 20016

T 202.537.3600
F 202.537.5743
www.ncs.cathedral.org