Over the course of three weeks, spanning from Thanksgiving to Winter Break, our Grade 5-6 students embarked on an exciting journey of creating their own imagined civilizations. This endeavor involved crafting detailed maps, informative blurbs, and formal essays.

 

To kickstart this project, we began by exploring the basic concept of what constitutes a civilization. We delved into the pivotal role of agriculture in shaping the course of civilizations, examined the locations of some of the world's oldest civilizations, and contemplated the meaning of the term "civilization" itself. We undertook brainstorming sessions and drew inspiration from the story of “Weslandia,” where a child developed his own civilization based on a staple crop grown in his backyard. 

The energy that flows through Fayerweather in the fall is truly a thing of beauty. The return to the classroom is a time of integrating, storming, and norming; teachers and students work together to set the terms of their journey for the next year, and build the relationships that will guide them through the months ahead. 

Those of us who are stewards of Fayerweather’s mission are engaged in a similar process. When the board met in person in September, we were excited to have an opportunity to connect, brainstorm decision-making approaches that will support our work, and set some goals for what we’ll focus on this year. 

The Unit Community Service provides Unit students (grades 7-8) with opportunities to assist their school community, including helping younger students with academic subjects, supporting gym, music, art, and shop classes, and performing organizational tasks like sorting materials and assisting with mailings. They've also contributed to library tasks and helped with building maintenance and clean-up efforts. It’s an important program that provides Unit students an opportunity to show leadership and give back.

This fall, nine Unit students with guidance from Junior and Rob, designed and constructed a portable Gaga Pit. Rowan, Lucian, Easton, Ronia, Dylan, Nate, Malcolm, James, and Miles pitched in to cut, sand, paint and assemble 8 plywood panels. The finished project can be assembled easily in minutes and sits on a lumber cart.

For many in our Fayerweather community, a space in which you can be your whole self is a lifeline. Trans and nonbinary kids and their families have been subject to extraordinary pressure, hostility, and violence in this country. If you have never had to defend your identity or had the validity of your sense of self questioned or attacked, you can only begin to imagine the toll that this takes.

When the Board of Directors voted to approve Fayerweather’s approach to gender support in February of this year, we did so proudly. The guidelines that the school articulated were the product of thoughtful, deeply considered, and evidence-based work by our school’s Gender Support Team, and we were confident they were both sound and beautifully consistent with our newly adopted mission. 

As we launch this year’s Solid & Strong CommUNITY Fund process, it causes me to reflect on why people invest their time, talents, and treasure into this small and intimate learning community.

Over the past 54 years, the Fayerweather parent community has been instrumental in shaping strong and impactful educational experiences for students. I felt this impact in a meaningful way when we were in the throes of the pandemic, as it was a parent volunteer of time and expertise responsible for the growth we are experiencing in the present. Your commitment and dedication to our community give meaning to our work at Fayerweather.  

I bet most of us adults have some pretty strong memories (and maybe even emotions) about our math education growing up. Mine, thankfully, were mostly positive. I remember I had the ability to compute fast, and I loved the satisfaction of getting the “right answer.” My teachers noticed these qualities in me, and I remember knowing they (and my peers) thought I was “smart” and “strong” as a math student. In some ways, these positive messages and my quest to solve things correctly propelled me to success; I was a straight “A” student, and I had the opportunity to take Calculus in high school (which was not as commonplace as it is now). As I ventured off to college, I thought that maybe I would even be a math major. 

Wow, we made it to the end of the school year! This year we witnessed children rebounding from the impact, challenges, and transitions over the years due to COVID. This year's focus was on re-building the school by constantly adapting to our students' evolving social-emotional and academic needs and those of the overall community. Along the way, we identified new rituals and routines. Even though we continue to be impacted by significant shifts in our social, political, economic, environmental, and cultural landscapes, we managed to get through the school year with most students feeling a sense of normalcy. For that, I am thankful.

On the day of the Uvalde murders, I was on my way to Branch Line, a restaurant located in Watertown, to meet another school administrator, and happened to be listening to WBUR. When I heard the news, I felt numb mixed with a surge of anxiety that felt like a shooting pain in my heart. Later that evening, I was up most of the night reading news clips online and checking out various news platforms. I woke up on Wednesday thinking about Fayerweather and tried to imagine how I would respond to such an overwhelmingly tragic situation. Pulling up to school during morning drop-off and seeing the doors of the school wide-open and our bustling community of parents, staff, and students milling about, I had the urge to fence us all in to protect us from the unknown. I know that does not work, nor is it the right thing to do, but the urge is strong and the anxiety palpable.

Thirteen years ago, I went looking for a school for my four-year-old daughter, Darla. Like any parent, I knew her to be a brilliant, extraordinary child destined for greatness. My hopes were for intellectual and academic challenges in a kind and supportive environment.

What Fayerweather gave her was much more – and very different – than I had anticipated. 

It is February again, meaning it’s time to celebrate Black History. Admittedly, not all aspects of Black History month as it is defined resonates with me, as I feel conflicted that the recognition of my peoples’ history is relegated to this short month. I am encouraged that Fayerweather School studies Black history throughout the year. Yet I struggle with the February celebration of our achievements. United States history should reflect the contributions and cultural influences of human beings from all over our planet, but sadly, even today, many of those cultural influences and stories are left to the margins and assigned to days, weeks, and months. 

As my kids headed into school yesterday, raincoats stuffed in backpacks, loathed KN95s firmly pulled up, a notification popped up on my phone, from an astrology app I downloaded ages ago: “Today you might be feeling more emotional than usual.” 

I laughed, and then cried, just a little.

It’s December! Why does it feel like April in my body and spirit? April is the time of the year when things are wrapping up, teachers are stressed to get in those last important lessons, and the admin teams are making sure that we execute on the things we have planned to turn the page on another year successfully. We are all a bit cranky because we are working hard to take care of all of the passengers on our metaphorical airplane and thinking about how we can safely and successfully land the plane; in other words, tying a nice bow around the end of the year. By April, our tiredness is buoyed by longer days, sunshine, and warmer weather that reminds us that we are close to the end of the school year. We will have more time to think, reflect, plan, and even find time to slow down. But it is December!

Fayerweather Staff and Administration began the school year with a day of deep discussion and reflection lead by Julie Jungalwala, founder, and executive director of the Institute for the Future of Learning. Staff reflected on what they learned as individuals, as a team, and as a school during the last year of living and teaching in the pandemic. Lessons learned from the last year helped shape some of the planning for the coming year, as well as personal and professional goals for our staff.

Kim wrote beautifully last week about the reasons why parents are attracted to an independent school education, and, in particular, a Fayerweather education. She spoke of the NAIS “Jobs to be Done” framework/study and the “jobs” that parents hire independent schools to do. Rightfully, she noted that Job 3 was one that resonated with what she has heard from parents most (although there is overlap between the jobs). Job 3 is described from a parent’s perspective as “When a school is focused almost solely on test scores and academic curriculum, help me find a school that will focus on my child’s social and emotional well being so that I can make sure that my child is well-rounded and a productive member of society.” Her writing had me reflecting on what the core principles or competencies of that third job looks like here at Fayerweather.