by Mike Davis, Ph.D.

Head of School

As Head of School, I can never predict what any given day will bring. Some days, there are inspiring, uplifting events. For example, in just the past week, I received word of the following:

On other days, we are painfully reminded of our human frailty. Because we are organized into small divisions, with many siblings attending the school, many families who know one another other well, and a relatively thin layer of administrators, we feel like a small place. Sometimes, it is hard to remember that we are a community of thousands of people. We serve 965 students, with more than100 faculty members, approximately 1,300 current parents, and thousands of alumni.

 

In a community such as ours, we share life’s inevitable triumphs and tragedies, and when sad news hits, we all grieve. Because CA is the center of many people’s lives, this community plays an important role in supporting children, teachers, and parents through challenging situations.  Despite last week’s good news, we also marked the passing of two members of our community — two fathers of CA students.

 

My heart goes out to these families and their many friends affected by the loss.  At the funeral for one of these parents this week, I was warmed by the support that the CA community demonstrated. Young children and many parents were in attendance. In the face of unexplainable loss, our only response must be to provide support and to express our kindness and love.

 

Sobering events like these break our hearts, but they also lend perspective. Surely, we are not perfect at CA; no human institution can ever be perfect.  And of course, we maintain an expectation for quality and accountability in all that we do.

 

Yet, when we hit those inevitable bumps, it is important to remember that we have people in our midst who are facing tough challenges — from the death of a loved one, the demise of a marriage, or the diagnosis of a serious health issue.

 

At the funeral on this day, the priest spoke of the power of forgiveness, of living every day to its fullest, and of appreciating the people in our lives. These events are supposed to be arresting, to take our breath away, and make us examine who we are, what we do, and what we call important. 

 

Now more than ever — with the ugly public discourse that permeates our lives, it is important to preserve civility, compassion, and a sense of our interconnectedness with other human beings. I hope we can remember that organizations thrive — even in the hard times — when we approach each other with openness and understanding.

 

We are all part of this community because we want our children to learn and grow and to be good people.  We have a commitment to our own kids and to one another to model that.  In times of difficulty, that means helping children understand how they can help others.  

 

In the midst of the suffering that I know some of our families are feeling, I am also grateful to be part of a community dedicated to educating children, and to know that we can represent a place of support, solace, and resolve, and on those good days, a place of possibility, opportunity, and hope in tomorrow.