Head of School's Blog

I have enjoyed talking with our students and faculty about current national and world events in our Morning Meetings this year. As a history teacher, I am obsessed with the news and how our history informs the present. I read three newspapers every morning before school and often recheck them after lunch and before bed. This year I have spoken mainly about the mid-term elections, the war in Ukraine, the rise of antisemitism, and the work of the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI--more on this in a future blog) in Alabama.

Last night I invited students and faculty to join me for my second evening discussion of current events this fall, and we had a wonderful turnout. Adding Moxie Soda, Coke, and cookies didn't seem to hurt the turnout either... We spoke mostly about the rise of antisemitism last night and how social media is both fueling this horrific rise and bringing important attention to the dangers of unchecked antisemitism. The students were incredibly thoughtful about the topic and asked great questions when not offering their own unique insights. We also touched on the drone attacks in Russia and the Supreme Court case in Colorado involving gay rights.

I feel fortunate to live in a community where students and adults will give up their precious free time to discuss important events in the news. I am buoyed by last night's energy and hope to offer many more conversations this year.