For the first time since March 13 of last year, the sound of the iconic bell filled the Upper Campus courtyard this week, ringing in the beginning of morning announcements.
That might seem like such a small gesture. But really, it’s huge.
This past Monday, May 17, marked the first morning announcements on the newly built Garrett Family Steps after more than a year of displacement and abnormality at the Upper Campus.
The concrete steps — six tiers of amphitheater-style seating linking Burr Hall with new construction to replace buildings lost to the 2017 Thomas Fire –were made possible by a generous donation from OVS alum Spencer Garrett and his family. Mr. Garrett is a member of the OVS Class of 1965, the first graduating class at the the Upper Campus.
Because of the construction of new buildings to replace those lost in the Thomas Fire, the courtyard area has been off limits since last year, when COVID concerns caused the school to shift to remote learning. When students returned this school year, all-school meetings were moved to the amphitheater as construction continued just south of Burr Hall.
But on Monday, those meetings returned to their traditional location, complete with the ringing of the school bell that calls students to assembly.
“It used to ring at the start of breakfast because it was up behind the cafeteria when I was a student here, but eventually it got moved down here and became part of all school,” Upper Campus Head of School Craig Floyd told students at that first meeting. “So we are starting to bring back the old tradition and starting the new. ”
The Garrett Family Steps are the gateway between the old and new at the Upper Campus, joining Burr Hall and the newly rebuilt Aramont Science and Technology Center, the Grace Hobson Smith House girls dormitory, and the Littlefield Student Commons. 
The steps usher in a new era for the students and faculty at OVS Upper campus.
“When we walked up here a couple of days after we lost the top part of the school in the Thomas Fire, this moment was only a dim dream for us; we didn’t know how we were going to get from there to here, and here we are today,” said Upper Campus Assistant Head of School Crystal Davis. “I want to say thank you all for sticking with us and making it possible for us to be here.”
The Garrett steps from now on will be the holding space for all morning meetings and for students and faculty alike to enjoy time outdoors.
The space would not have been possible without the help from the Garrett family who donated the funds to create the steps.
In addition to his philanthropy, Mr. Garrett remains an active member of the OVS community. He serves on the school’s Board of Trustees and has proven his mettle as a craftsman of the highest order on school projects big and small, including volunteering to help repair the Upper Campus amphitheater after it was damaged by the Thomas Fire.
The future of the OVS Upper Campus is looking bright, and this only marks the beginning of all the positive changes that are going to be happening in the upcoming months.
May 17, 2021, will go down as a historic day in OVS history showing the resilience and strength of the school community and all that can be accomplished with a little bit of perseverance.
“I just wanted to take another moment to appreciate this is the first meeting of hundreds, maybe thousands, that will take place here in the next 10-20-30, 100 years,” senior student body president Mark Pindur told the students gathered Monday. “Let’s take another moment to appreciate the efforts …everyone has gone through to get us to this point.”