List of 5 news stories.

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  Education as Resistance: A Call to Action

  2/6/2025
  Kim Ridley, Head of School
  My mind and heart have been heavy these past weeks as I am watching our government hell-bent on dismantling progress. This back and forth is not at all new to the history and current reality of the United States—two steps back, one step forward is the way our story has unfolded. With one executive order after another, this administration is waging war on diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice—terms that, to them, are apparently threatening to their version of America. The instability and chaos isn’t just reckless; it’s intentional. The goal? It appears to be to torpedo any movement toward collective liberation, multiculturalism, pluralism, and access to resources and human rights, with the purpose of  curtailing the freedom to chart our own destinies. After all, what is the key to freedom in a democracy? Access to education is one of the central tenets and benefits of living in a free society. 
  
  

  While attending the Head of School Retreat in New Hampshire through the Association of Independent Schools in New England, I received several emails from anxious staff members, desperate for guidance. How will we respond? How do we manage the chaos? I chuckled, not out of amusement but exhaustion. If I had all the answers, I would have some special status—or I would be in a position to wield more power. Instead, I sit in a conference room in New Hampshire, grappling with the same questions while trying not to feel hopeless.
  
  

  When the weight of it all threatens to pull me under, I turn to poetry, spiritual readings, and the wisdom of my ancestors for inspiration—those who endured, who survived, who carved paths where none existed. I remind myself: I am here. My purpose is clear. I educate children. And then, in a simple but profound moment, Garrett, our communications manager, reframed it perfectly: Education is our activism.
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  Welcome Back!

  1/9/2025
  Kim Ridley, Head of School
  Our work resumed Monday, January 6th, with staff focused on writing progress reports and preparing to welcome students back. My day started with warm greetings to the early birds in the building, followed by back-to-back meetings with Andrew, Charlie, Eric, Ann, and Courtney. 
  
  

  As we dive into the second half of the school year, we shift gears from laying the foundation to going deeper with our learning. For instance, on Tuesday, Tracey and Abby’s 1-2 class explored measurement in a truly Fayerweather way. Students created a power chain and measured its length using their bodies. Imagine the scene: kids lying on the floor, head to toe, giggling, sitting up occasionally to marvel at what they created. Of course, once the measuring was over, the students sprinted back to the classroom, leaving the chain behind, prompting Tracey to say, “Is the power chain going to walk itself back to the room?” The kids paused, reflected briefly, and promptly retrieved the power chain.

  
  When I think back to my first- and second-grade days, my teachers would have said, “Go back and pick that up!” And most likely, we would never been allowed to spread our bodies in the hallway. No floor-measuring fun for us—just rulers and a lot less joy. Reflecting on these two approaches, which way sparks a lifelong love of learning and encourages thoughtful reflection? This is the power of our experiential learning approach–engaging all the senses and amplifying play to hook children into learning a concept like measurement.
  
  

  As we head into the rest of the year,  I am sharing a few key updates and highlights:
  
  
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  Planning for Improvisation

  12/5/2024
  Kim Ridley, Head of School
  Welcome to December! School has been in session for approximately 13 weeks, and as one teacher wisely put it, “We’re out of the honeymoon phase. I know my students now—they’ve shown me how they learn best.” Translation? The comfy slippers of routine are on, but we’re still lacing up our running shoes for growth and experimentation.
  
  Speaking of experimentation, a podcast I listened to recently got me thinking about life’s twists and turns. The episode, fittingly titled “Approaches to Life: Should You Follow a Plan, Make a Hard Pivot, or Improvise as You Go?” featured three perspectives:
  

  • Improvisation: One speaker, a musician, raved about ditching plans entirely, claiming improvisation sparks creativity and excitement.
  • Hard pivots: The kind you make when the unexpected smacks you in the face.
  • Following a plan: The structured roadmaps we cling to for comfort (and hopefully, success).
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  The Themes and Issues of Our Times

  11/7/2024
  Kim Ridley, Head of School
  As we welcome November, it's remarkable to reflect on the past ten weeks of school. Our days have been enriched with explorations at Fresh Pond, engaging field trips, collaborative projects, FunFest, and all-school meetings. We've delved into the history and purpose of voting, the electoral college, and the responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy. Our children are deeply attuned to their communities and the broader world.
  
  

  Through weekly newsletters and teacher communications, you've seen the insightful questions our students pose and the innovative ways teachers facilitate meaningful discussions about the election, tailored to each developmental stage. I'm proud of the thoughtful engagement across PreK to 8th-grade classrooms, where students express their concerns and curiosities about the election and its impact on themselves and others.
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  Considering & Including Multiple Perspectives

  10/3/2024
  Kim Ridley, Head of School
  Welcome to October! September was a time for building community, reconnecting with familiar faces, and getting acquainted with new ones while settling into our routines, expectations, and rhythms.  In my last note, I  shared with you how we developed Community Agreements during our opening staff meetings. These agreements were designed to foster transparency and create a shared understanding of how we can build relationships and more effectively work together. The staff enthusiastically suggested inviting the entire community to join this practice. Over the coming weeks, I will write more about how we are living these agreements and ways we work together to support each other in adhering to them. For those interested, the framed Community Agreements can be found in the vestibule to the right as you enter the school.
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