Head of School's Blog
The Resiliency of Childhood
Dear Fayerweather Community.
School is officially in session! All the hard work preparing for this day has been worth it to see the smiles on your children’s faces and to witness the imagination and creativity come alive on our playground, on the field in Rafferty Park, at Fresh Pond, and within our classrooms.
The resiliency of childhood gives us the strength to carry on and move forward during these uncertain times. Over the past two weeks, my conversations with students have centered around their well-being, as I often lead with the question, “how are you doing?” Most students exclaimed how happy they feel to be in school with their friends. I appreciate the enormity as well as the simplicity implied in this idea of what it means to be together.
The FSS staff community spent the summer thinking about ways we can safely be together. Sometimes that prospect just felt out of reach. This idea of togetherness certainly challenged my colleagues and I to be imaginative, flexible and to “think outside of the box.” As I see how children are navigating the Hybrid Model, I am in awe of their resiliency, and their ability to engage in spite of all of the challenges and changes. I often think about a quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book, “Mindfulness for Beginners.” I am reminded of the power of the phrase, “a beginners mind.”
“Beginners come to new experiences not knowing so much and therefore are open. This openness is very creative. It is an innate characteristic of the mind, and the trick is, never to lose it…. Of course you will lose beginner’s mind in one way, when you cease to be a beginner. But if you can remember from time to time that each moment is fresh and new, just maybe, what you know will not get in the way of being open to what you don’t know, which is always a larger field. Then a beginner’s mind will be available in any moment you are open to it.”
We are fortunate to work with children, as they remind us of what it means to bring an openness to seeing the possibilities.
Food for Thought:
I would like to share two great pieces for your reading pleasure. One is an article from the NYTimes about adult resiliency and the importance of building your emotional muscles.
The other piece is a blog entitled, “Safety Lasagna” by Emily Oster. This blog is focused on how we are mitigating versus eliminating risks by using the “safety lasagna” metaphor.
Reminder:
Please note that the FSS Virtual Curriculum Nights will take place as follows:
- Grades 5 through 8: Thursday, September 24th from 6:30pm to 7:45pm (link and directions will be sent out next week)
- PreK through 4th Grades: Thursday, October 1st from 6:30pm to 7:45pm (link and directions will be sent the week of September 28th out the following week)
On a different and important note, I am happy to report that of the 300 tests we provided to all students and staff, each have tested negative for COVID-19. Thank you again to Charlie McDermott who has fiercely supported and led this testing effort!
Have a great weekend,
Kim
Fayerweather Street School | 765 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138 | 617-876-4746
Fayerweather is a private PreK, kindergarten, elementary and middle school. We engage each child’s intellect.