“As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” ~Audrey Hepburn
Dear Caedmon Community,
This past week I was elected to serve as the president of the Guild of New York City Heads of Independent Schools. I share this with great humility, with the intention of noting my excitement for working closely with such an intelligent and inspiring group of colleagues, and the benefits for Caedmon in our connections to other schools. All of us - school folk, parents, medical specialists, to name a few - have managed the challenges of the past two plus years, making significant decisions at a moment's notice.
The first Monday of every month, the NYC Heads of Schools are invited to hop on a ZOOM call, to commiserate, seek advice, give advice, and supply some humor to get through the pandemic. As the school year winds down, we are also recognizing several of our colleagues who have decided that this is the year to retire and wrap it up (there is actually a rather sizable turnover this year and next of headships in New York City). It is a wonderful tradition that we invite them to share their thoughts on schools, their legacy, New York City, and working with each other, our children, and our parents.
The stories are funny, moving, sometimes a bit scary, and often times inspiring. A recent conversation resonated profoundly with me, because it made me think of how people behave here in the Caedmon community. The person sharing has been a Head in New York for many, many years. He was a mentor to me, and I first met him in 1993. He is quite spiritual, which influenced what he shared. He spoke of supporting each other as "being with" another person. More than standing next to, or talking with, or letting someone know, "I'm available," my colleague spoke of the sense of security, being loved, and deep care that one feels when someone is really "being with" another. Even more than empathy, which I think of as walking in another's shoes, this concept of "being with" he used to describe connecting one's soul with another.
I realize that I don't typically reference such metaphysical or even religious ways.
But, as a school where a bedrock of our values is that each Caedmon individual - child, teacher, and parent - feels known, valued, and needed, there is something quite sacred and precious about that aspiration.
And, in a school where children are very young, where they begin their first journey outside of one's home (certainly the most significant "first" experiences to provide success in one's life), and where parents entrust their most valuable entity/asset/belonging (not sure of the right reference to a child!), one should be nothing less than spiritual!
Best,
Matthew
