Volume 26, Issue 2
2022-2023
About U.S.
A Publishing Tradition of The Unquowa School
A Message From the Head of School
F
or me, almost each and every school day begins at the curb. I stand on the sidewalk in front of our school at 8 am and my purpose is to greet students and chat with parents. The act looks different with each car that pulls up - some kids bolt out of their cars like rockets, some seem surprised that they’ve arrived and are still finishing their breakfast. Some cars have one quiet first grader and others have a carpool full of sibs or friends in all states of readiness. Some parents smile and must zip off to work and others exchange a few thoughts or pull up past the drop-off spot for a quick chat, and many cars include frisky dogs whose names I’ve learned and with whom I’ve developed relationships. One of my favorite parts of morning drop-off is the first quiet ten minutes or so when kids hang around to chat for a few minutes, either to catch me up on their worlds or to fill me in on “something I should really know.” I never quite know what’s coming during those minutes but I’m always delighted by the surprise. Recently, a conversation about a third grader’s impressively well-behaved dog and my admission that I’ve never been able to train a dog, led us to a daily installment course in dog obedience training. We’ve gotten through three parts - the commands of sit, heel and stay - and I estimate that I will graduate from this course by the end of April and receive my confident third grader’s approval to own and train a dog. This anecdote may seem sweet on the surface, but it is a powerful example of the fact that in strong school communities everyone is a teacher and everyone is a learner. Just before spring break a five year old came up to me outside my office door to show me the exquisite stuffed doll that an 8th grader had made for her. It was the product of a joint PreK-8th visual arts project in which the PreK students
designed and drew a toy they wished to own and an 8th grader produced the actual object from the PreK student’s conception. The finished product that the PreK student showed me was simply exquisite - beautifully crafted and completely true to the child’s concept. When I complimented the five-year old on her role in the production process as designer, she hesitated for a moment and then accepted that, yes, she had conceived of the idea and instructed her 8th grade partner. It was a brilliant, collaborative project that planted the seed of teaching and learning. This message of teacher/ learner is woven throughout our school community’s world, at every age and in every discipline. It’s the underlying attitude that talented teachers hold and convey to their students. “You are here to learn but, as you do, you can also begin to teach others. And throughout your life, you will also continue to be a learner.” Teachers model this truth by always being openly willing and expressing that they are willing to learn from their students and, beyond that, instilling in their students the confidence that they have knowledge that is useful to others. This past March, after the traditional student/faculty basketball game that happens on the morning before spring break, a sixth grade member of the boys’ team complimented me on my playing. After I acknowledged that I had a lot to learn before I could really contribute beyond running up and down the court and making an occasional pass, he sweetly said, “Aw, you just need to get out on the court more to build your confidence. Next year, I’ll invite you to come to our practices for a few weeks before the game. You’ll be great!” Wishing everyone a happy spring!
Sharon Lauer, Head of School