December 16, 2015
" We are committed to ensuring that Caedmon families feel a sense of belonging, because we
value the different and precious identities among us."
From the Caedmon Commitment to Community and Inclusivity
At Caedmon, community is a BIG deal! It is one of the four foundational values that guide
our Mission. As I always say to prospective parents and visitors, the idea of "community" is
of highest importance at Caedmon - because we know how vital the connections between
the parents of our students are to the success of our students. Many Caedmon parents tell
me of lifelong friendships they have formed with other parents, starting back when their
children were in Beginners class.
In the last week we hosted two incredible programs for our community. Last Thursday
evening, we had the opening party for our CFA-sponsored annual Book Fair. Acclaimed
young adult author, Jacqueline Woodson spoke and read from her book, Brown Girl Dreaming.
Last night, Caedmon a dad presented a timely talk on children, parenting, and technology,
for the CFA December meeting.
I wish that there was some way to clear all of your schedules, so that our entire community
could attend all of these events. They are incredibly helpful learning experiences, as well as
terrific opportunities to share with each other our thoughts, our concerns, and our insights -and that is exactly what a community should do for its members! I came across a wonderful
quote by Robert Greenleaf, the author of Servant as Leader, which captures perfectly why
we need to always hold the Caedmon community as a primary value: "Where there is not
Community -- trust, respect, and ethical behavior are difficult for the young to learn and for
the old to maintain."
So, as we prepare to take a two week break, I am going to give myself the assignment of
capturing at least one of these events ever so briefly, so that our entire community can
benefit from them the way that the attendees were able to. (I will circle back to the CFA
presentation in the new year!)
Earlier in the afternoon, Ms. Woodson had captivated the Middle Level and Upper Level
students, reading from her books, Each Kindness, The Other Side, and Brown Girl Dreaming. I
wondered would she be equally as charming and inspiring with the parents? Jacqueline
Woodson spoke as a writer, a storyteller, an African American writer, a mom, a daughter, a
woman, a human. Her words were true, enlightening, and inspiring. Truth be told, I could
fill up pages with the brilliant things she said to both the parents and the children. Alas, I will
only offer a tiny bit and entice you to read her books!
For the students, she read first from her book, Each Kindness. It is a moving story about a
child who realizes that she has been unkind to another girl in her school. The teacher
describes kindness like dropping a pebble into a pond, "This is what kindness does, Ms.
Albert said. Each little thing we do goes out, like a ripple, into the world." The book
however, has a very interesting and somewhat unsettling ending, which Ms. Woodson
brilliantly left unread, and put on us to seek out and read (I went directly to the table with
her books that evening and finished the story). She went on to share about being a writer,
and the children peppered her with questions, curious both about her journey and clearly
looking for advice for their own journeys as writers.
The beauty of Jacqueline Woodson's presentations was that they were mostly captured in
quotes from her stories. Some of very favorites were from Brown Girl Dreaming:
On gaining the inspiration to be a writer, especially as an African American child
"If someone had taken that book out of my hand said, You're too old for this maybe I'd
never have believed that someone who looked like me could be in the pages of the book.
that someone who looked like me had a story."
On being a writer (the book is written in verse)
"Write down what I think I know. The knowing will come.
Just keep listening..."
"Even the silence
has a story to tell you.
Just listen. Listen."
Nothing in the world is like thisa bright white page with
pale blue lines. The smell of a newly sharpened pencil
the soft hush of it
moving finally
one day
into letters."
As we head into winter break, I hope that you and your family have opportunities to feel like
"nothing in the world is like this!" I hope you find good books to read. I hope you enjoy
delicious meals. I hope you find rest when you need it, energy when you want it, and quality
family time. And finally, I hope for the happiest, healthiest, and most prosperous 2016!
All the best!
Matthew