Let's begin this month by welcoming the families of incoming '23s to our Speaking of Dartmouth readership. You'll be receiving Speaking of Dartmouth, the College's digital newsletter for families, every month throughout your student's time at Dartmouth.

This will be my final message for this academic year. We are a little more than two weeks away from the last day of classes for spring term. Even as your students are working incredibly hard to complete their academic work, our end of year celebrations of their accomplishments are in high gear.

This month, I want to highlight several important Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning (DCAL) initiatives. Founded in 2004, DCAL supports Dartmouth faculty in developing "new teaching tools and strategies, especially purposeful applications of digital technology and new media."

It is snowing today in Hanover, with expected accumulations of anywhere from 1" - 18" in the greater Upper Valley region. By the end of next week, temperatures are expected to be in the 50s. We look forward to welcoming students back for spring term this weekend.

This has been a busy month. Seniors intending to graduate submitted their degree applications. First-year students had the opportunity to attend a "reorientation" to our academic departments. Students who will be in residence this spring submitted their course elections.

On May 23, 1962, Martin Luther King spoke at Dartmouth. As the College celebrates the national King holiday, Dr. King's words at Dartmouth bear repeating.

We hope you and your students are enjoying the break. As we look ahead to the new year, Dartmouth is preparing to launch a series of events throughout 2019 to celebrate the College’s 250th anniversary. Activities on campus and around the world will offer students, faculty, staff, families and alumni a wide range of opportunities to come together.

I'm sure you're all hearing, as we are, that your students are relieved to have finished fall term. Wherever they will be for the winter break, we hope they're able to get some much deserved rest.

Dartmouth’s mission is to prepare the most promising students for a lifetime of learning and responsible leadership. As I noted last month, we want our students to cultivate the ability to have a positive influence on a daily basis, in any relationship, any setting and any community of which they are a part.

Dear Parents and Families, as we head into the fourth week of the term, I would like to take a moment to share with you a snippet of an open hours conversation I had with a first-year student earlier this week.