ony Jarvis, the former Head of School at Roxbury Latin School in Boston, would open every school year by promising families that their children would be, “known and loved.” These are powerful words: compelling for parents, exciting for teachers, and empowering for students. We are not the only school to have re-extended Jarvis’ promise, but I don’t know of a place that does it better. Never is our commitment to this more evident than during conference season.
I have always loved conferences—as a teacher, as an administrator, and, in particular, as a parent. I believe in the power of relationships; the ability to spend time with the team of people who care deeply about a child is just awe inspiring. It’s not because everything is perfect, quite the contrary. It is because an amazing group of exceptional adults have come to know, love, and value the unique attributes and imperfections of each child, that I am blown away, every time.
Author and educator, Michael Thompson wrote an essay entitled, “Say Something that Claims the Child.” When I was a division head, faculty in my building knew to expect this essay in their inbox the week before conferences every year. In his essay, Thompson wrote of the love that radiates when a teacher describes a child within the knowing context of a relationship, illuminating a student in a light that is more than test scores and homework records.
As a parent, you hope that your children will spend their days with teachers who know and love them. You hope they will be with teachers who get them, believe in them, enjoy them, and inspire them.
These conversations are our opportunity to share stories and strengthen connections. They are a gift.
I am hard pressed to think of a time when I am more proud to be part of this school community.