Dear LS-E Families,
With a little over a week remaining in "cyberschool," today marked the end of the community-wide Calhoun Spirit Week. This afternoon was a celebratory moment for all, as we heard many of the spirit messages from children describing what makes Calhoun great. There is a hopefulness in all of their messages and a belief that the power of caring for each other is what makes Calhoun, Calhoun.
Final projects are in the works, preparations for the end of the year continue, and the uncertainty of what summer might bring adds additional fuel to the usual end-of-year student antsiness. Our teachers have held your children in their virtual classes, cluster meetings, and in one-on-one sessions throughout this pandemic. They have also gracefully balanced their own challenges and life demands with being there, on screen and off, for you and for your children. I am so grateful and proud of them for the work they have done.
This week we also held multiple parent coffees to offer insight into what's in store for both the short and long runs for students in Lower School—Elementary. Your questions, comments and voiced concerns remind me that you have all also managed a challenging time with grace, humor and willingness to partner with our team.
As Steve noted in his Head Lines this week, author Ibram X. Kendi has named that we are also "living through a racial pandemic within the viral pandemic." Layered on top of this is the awareness of the recent violence against Black and Brown citizens, and the added stress that comes with systemic structures and policies that make it difficult for some people to just "live."
Your children notice this, and understand that something is terribly wrong. Some of the recent racialized violent incidents in the news entered into cluster conversations. Students asked questions, offered their thoughts, and wondered aloud about some of the news they were hearing from friends and the media. The depth of empathy expressed in some of these conversations leave me with hope.
One of the reasons that I love Calhoun is the visible ways that our students and faculty care for one another. They check in, they ask, "are you OK," and they demand to know why things happen to some people and not others. Children want answers to their questions — even when what they hear might be scary or sad. And every adult in the community cushions that news and provides age-appropriate context for children in these frank conversations.
I have been looking for books to use with my journaling students, and I recently pulled Marion Wright Edelman's memoir, Lanterns from my shelf. Ms. Edelman has been a lifelong advocate for children. On April 29, 1960, Dr. Edelman shared a prayer she uttered after a meeting with Dr. King:
These are the most exciting, gratifying, and rewarding days of my life. Change is pervading — change I'm helping bring in…teach us to seek after truth relentlessly, and to yearn for the betterment of mankind…"
Calhoun students have never met Ms Edelman. But they profoundly embody her desire to yearn for something different and better for all of us.
I wish you a peaceful and safe weekend with loved ones.
Sincerely yours,
Debra