“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” ~Henry Ford
Dear Caedmon Community,
Last Saturday was a remarkable day at Caedmon. Over 50 people - faculty and staff, parents, trustees, and alums - came together, in person. We met in Caedmon's well-ventilated Dining Hall. First of all, it was magnificent just to be together, in the Schoolhouse, with each other (and, thankfully, no COVID cases came from this get-together). More importantly, all of these smart and dedicated people came together to dream big about the future of Caedmon. What an extraordinary thing to do, no?
We divided into eight smaller groups. What was significantly meaningful was that each group was a mix of teachers, parents, trustees, and alums, many of whom did not know each other prior to Saturday. Not only that, but for instance, parents of Beginner students were sitting with teachers from Third grade. If nothing else was accomplished, everyone got to learn about each other and their pocket of the school.
But we did SO much more. Now, this was not a meeting to raise complaints. It was really meant to do some "blue sky, out of the box" thinking. Our strategic plan is currently considering four areas that we believe will make Caedmon an even better school and will provide richer learning experiences for our children.
- We are digging deeply into the Academic Program, which I find already to be full of robust, progressive, and intelligent opportunities. However, the world of education is full of valuable research and innovative ideas and reforms. NO school in 2022, coming out of the wildly flexible decisions and adjustments of the last three years, should settle for status quo, or going back to whatever seemed normal before.
- We are making sure that our beloved and passionate faculty experience a career that is supported, feels appreciated, and pushes them to seek greater professional learning and development. Caedmon has the finest teachers, by all measures. And we want people to stay, to grow, and to want to come and teach here, whenever we have space for new folks.
- We take seriously the school's commitment to a community where every individual is known, valued, and needed; a kinship with each other that is without question equitable, just, and everyone feels that they belong. We are a school with abundant social, racial, and international backgrounds, and children who are two-years-old to ten-years-old. How do we commit 100% to such a complicated societal demand in age-appropriate, empowering ways?
- We have a beautiful Schoolhouse that we rent from St. Monica's Church. How can we make the most of our school building, our relationship with our landlord, and our future? How might we expand? What about our virtual Schoolhouse? As we move forward in the 21st century and beyond, what are the adventures available to our learning environment? Does a "neighborhood" school have to be defined by close geographical city blocks, or can it mean the devoted and familial bonds that are nourished, regardless of distance?
The table in my office holds pages and pages of notes, post-its, and ideas, which we are now carefully reading through. The ideas from Saturday were inspiring, creative, and very thoughtful. All of our constituencies were well represented and I cannot express my gratitude and admiration deeply enough. It was fun, exhausting (folks worked steadily from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.!), illuminating, and, as I said, so delightful to be together in school again.
For those of you who celebrate one of the very important holidays this month and this coming weekend, I wish you and your families an abundance of togetherness and joy.
All the best,
Matthew
