In my opening remarks to students on Thursday afternoon, I wanted to get the school year off to a positive start. I acknowledged that so far 2020 has not been a year many of us will remember fondly. With COVID-19, numerous natural disasters, and an often bitter political climate, there is much to be concerned about. All of us feel some level of anxiety and disequilibrium; that is natural and understandable given the circumstances. We do have choices in terms of how we respond, however.

 

To that point, school helps young people (and their teachers!) feel a sense of normalcy and can bring a level of calm. I encouraged students to seize the moment and embrace what school offers. Even when we are learning remotely as we are now, we can build community and students can certainly lean into the opportunity to work and learn with their teachers and peers. This does require some effort and calls for greater agency on the part of every student. Being their best selves on Zoom means coming to class prepared, speaking up regularly, engaging with their peers, and then, when working independently, digging into areas of interest. Learning is one of the best ways to exercise a certain amount of control, even in such an uncertain time. Education remains the greatest gift we can give to children and to ourselves.

 

I also framed the recent widespread public awareness of social justice issues as an important and positive development in this country’s long history. We know that many of our nation’s most challenging problems have not been resolved; indeed, they have too often been relegated to the shadows. The fact that many Americans are now paying attention and addressing the inequalities in our society has been remarkable to see. White Americans in particular have been awakened in a way I have not witnessed in my lifetime. I pointed to the sudden shifting of majority opinions on everything from the Washington football team, to outdated racist labeling of consumer products, to the removal of Confederate statues, as an indication that many people feel that the time has come for meaningful change. Whether this was spurred by the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, the subsequent protests of police misconduct nationally, pent-up feelings spurred on by the pandemic, the deaths of key civil rights leaders like John Lewis, or some combination of factors, there has been more extensive movement towards greater systemic equality than at any point since the 1960s. Our students are now coming of age during this key time period and will be able to help carry the mantle towards “forming a more perfect union.” 

 

On Thursday I also took the opportunity to spotlight four alums of Colorado Academy with whom I have either had personal contact this summer or whose stories I have been actively following. I noted an Emmy-Award winning filmmaker, a PGA golfer, a program manager at Facebook specializing in helping underrepresented populations get access to computer programming, and a writer and social activist for the rights of the elderly. I used these stories as sources of inspiration for our students. As these alums’ stories show, our current Upper Schoolers have so many options in front of them, and so many potential career paths, many of which have not even occurred to them yet! As the world changes rapidly and unexpectedly, it is essential that Colorado Academy students remain open and ready. They must be nimble learners and resilient humans. This pandemic is helping them develop those skills even more.

 

I purposely did not try to review too many of the logistical challenges we have ahead when we re-open the Upper School to students in two weeks. (The Lower School re-opens next week.) There will be allotted time for us to review mask-wearing, social distancing, and how we will do lunch. For now, I wanted to remind students of some of the reasons they appreciate school and especially being at a place like Colorado Academy.