Welcome Back!

Every summer, I participate in a professional development opportunity that allows me to reflect on my leadership—this year, I participated in two experiences. First, I  presented to a women’s collective, Excelle. Our focus was on cultivating emotionally intelligent leadership. Excelle is an organization that supports the emotional health and well-being of women leaders, primarily in independent schools. It was uplifting to hear and learn from the stories of Heads of Schools and other school leaders sharing the ins and outs of their journeys. From there, I attended the Teleos Leadership Institute. Participants included public and charter school leaders as well as those in higher education. I was the only one from the independent school world.  The other leaders looked at me suspiciously as if I were an alien from another land. One significant difference between our school cultures is the flexibility and autonomy from which we operate compared to our charter and public school counterparts. On the other hand, the operational structure of public and charter schools is similar, with a more straightforward yet hierarchical organizational structure with clearer boundaries and expectations. We explored leadership's good, bad, and ugly impact on our minds and bodies, especially during these often chaotic times.  Much work must be done to improve our country's education quality. Yet, I appreciate leading a mission-based school that believes in community, collaboration, humanity, and justice as the foundation for excellence and academic achievement.

And there was some relaxation and fun with friends and family. The big lesson I learned this summer is to ensure that the kayak we rent doesn’t have a giant hole  in the bottom of the boat. The story goes like this: We were kayaking in a bay near our hotel in Bermuda. We were in a two-person kayak; I was in front, and Bobby was in the back. Our other friends were moving what appeared to be seamlessly across the water; however, Bobby and I were struggling, and we both blamed each other for why we weren’t getting anywhere. I thought he was too wiggly, and he felt I was rowing ineffectively. The rest of our friends were ahead of us, and we were both frustrated. After much effort, we finally caught up to them. Again, we set out, only to be left by everyone, except for one of the friends who circled back and said, “What is your  problem?” At that point, the kayak flipped, and we went underwater. Luckily, we had on life jackets, and although we both could swim, we were in the middle of the bay. I panicked, and Bobby laughed hysterically, and I said words I was not proud of.  With help from our friend Terrance, someone brought a speed boat to safely return us to the shore, where the hole in the boat was immediately discovered. The lesson for me is that sometimes we can become frustrated and upset with people and situations, but often, something bigger or not apparent is at play. We have to work to slow down and give each other grace to figure things out before overreacting.

Parents, caregivers, students, teachers, administrators, and staff, as we enter this new school year, my hope is that we give each other grace and understanding as we work to support each other and our students. Let’s pledge to keep our communication as transparent as possible, our minds curious, and to work to keep our empathy and humility at the forefront of our interactions.  Fayerweather’s mission is our purpose and reason for existing. This is fundamental to cultivating the kind of educational culture and experience we all can shape. This will be our first year living our new mission. I am eager to see how the new mission continues to shape the learning culture and future of Fayerweather Street School.

We are excited to welcome you to a new school year. 

With gratitude,

Kim Ridley