January 24, 2025 Read Time:
ConnectingCommunityResilienceStrength
The power of human connection cannot be underestimated. From the moment we enter the world until the moment we leave it, our connections shape who we are. Despite these ties, when dramatic changes - big or small - happen around us, we tend to feel anxious, unmoored, unsettled.. and alone.
This week I am writing to share a reminder: None of us are alone. Educators have a unique opportunity to build connections that create community. We model for the next generation of learners, doers, and leaders what it means to live and flourish together in a civil society. Our work is hyper-local, high stakes, and highly relational. That's what makes it so challenging, consequential, and meaningful.
My fervent hope is that over the next several weeks and months we will draw on each other for strength in our most difficult moments, and come to value our connections even more. My wish is for us all to remember to treat our relationships as sacred encounters between and among whole human beings, not merely transactions toward concrete ends. If we take this charge seriously, our differences - in perspective, background, affiliation or beliefs - can be some of our greatest sources of resilience, growth, and strength.
School is where both children and adults make some of their most meaningful connections. For youth these connections spark curiosity and confidence; for the adults - and all of us - they reignite purpose and passion. We learn in connection, we grow in connection, we thrive in connection. This is not just our job, this is our privilege.
As always, we remain here for you, in connection.
