Cycles

High School

Dear High School Families,

I was reminded today, after a fruitful discussion at the High School Parent Association Rep meeting, that the school year follows certain cycles - the excitement at the start of school, curriculum nights, admissions tours, the journey through the college process, the change of the seasons, the many events that culminate the school year – the cycles of the school year feel familiar, but are always new and different to those experiencing these elements for the first time. Spending my life in school, I have always been struck by the connection that exists between the Jewish high holidays and the start of a new school year. Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) was this past Monday. It is a time of hope and promise, of well wishes for a sweet new year, reflecting on our actions of the past year, and looking at the possibilities of the future with fresh eyes. I hope that after attending a curriculum night you have a sense of what our students’ experiences will be, heard from the exceptional faculty that will help them navigate the challenges they will face this year, and that you will share in my sense of excitement and wonder for what we’ll cycle through in the year ahead.

Next week is Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), the most important holiday in the Jewish tradition. On Wednesday I will be fasting and contemplating in observance of this holiday. It is tradition to acknowledge our own mistakes as well as recognize the sins of our greater humanity. We take the time to apologize in person to the important people in our lives. In synagogue we apologize to our larger communities, to our planet, and to a higher power. It is also our responsibility to recognize and reflect on the privilege we experience, to own and understand our guilt, and renew our responsibility to “make meaningful change in the world” (from the LREI mission statement). In the quiet of our own hearts and in a loud communal voice, we promise to do better, be humble, be grateful, be respectful, help those in need, open our hearts, and pray for peace. It is in those moments that I am most thankful to work with our high school students. They possess the unique ability to look critically at the world without the baggage of age and ask hard questions about the status quo, as they endeavor to make sense of themselves, society, and their place in it. I am humbled by their openness to the experiences of their peers, and their thirst for justice, purpose, and meaning.

This afternoon, students and faculty shared personal stories, poems, films, and writings about their identity and experiences as part of a powerful LatinX Heritage Month Assembly. Under the guidance of high school teachers Ileana Jimenez and Arturo Acevedo, students led the high school community through what being LatinX means to them, and through their words what it means to be an, “active participants in our democratic society, with the creativity, integrity, and courage” (from the LREI mission statement). It takes a great deal of courage to stand in front of nearly 300 people, and even more to do so with an open heart. I am so proud that we have their trust, and their example for how to engage in conversations about identity.

We continue to work towards being a community where we all belong, which is different from a community where we can fit in. Fitting in means the individual adapts to match the group’s values; belonging means the community embraces each individual for who they are and what they bring. When we belong, we feel more comfortable to ask questions, challenge ourselves, and grow. This is how we build a strong community of “independent thinkers who work together to solve complex problems” (from the LREI mission statement). There is no more complex problem than sharing our planet with justice and equity.

From pioneering progressive educator, John Dewey, “We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.” As we move through the cycle of the school year, I hope we’ll continue to have many opportunities for reflection.

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Cycles

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High School

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