May 31, 2024
As the school year comes to a close, we tend to measure it in ceremonies and celebrations, but what led to these festive events is just as important. At NGFS, we measure our days in the smiles that come from a sentence written all by oneself, the “aha” moments when complex concepts suddenly “click”, and when friends say, “I’m sorry,” and ask how they can make it better. We celebrate small moments of growth that could be easily overlooked, when a guest leaves our school saying, “Those were the nicest kids I have ever met”, and when a thumbs up tells a friend we notice that he’s paying attention. We see the progress when students respectfully disagree and when they help each other through homesickness on a first trip.
Last Friday, a grandparent came to me after graduation and said, “I’ve never seen anything like this, and I’ve been to dozens and dozens of graduations; this school is really something else.” This isn’t the first time I’ve been told that people are touched by our graduation ceremony and our eighth-grade celebration, but I was struck by his comment about us being “something else.”
At both graduation and the eighth-grade celebration, a teacher speaks about each student. Our teachers take great care with their comments, and they reveal that our students are known, cared for, and respected for the unique people they are. No speech is alike, and if you watch the faces of our students, you may see smiles, laughs, and even a few tears. (Knowing you are seen and appreciated can be overwhelming but in a good way.)
Each year, our seniors step up to take on leadership roles. (In the spring of their eleventh-grade year, we sometimes doubt this will happen, but come August, they return to campus with a sense of responsibility that wasn’t there the previous spring.) They begin to talk more about community and are willing to do what it takes to support that unseen but deeply felt notion. At graduation, I spoke to the class of 2024 about the joy of belonging that they will carry with them “as they leave this friendly place.” They understand what it means to belong to a community. Like families, communities are messy and imperfect. Our seniors know that communities require compromise, care, commitment, and honesty, even when it is difficult. Especially when it is difficult. They have the exceedingly rare skills and experience to create and support community; we know because they have already done it.
The joyous events that mark the end of our academic year are a culmination of thousands of small moments. When we see how these have added up and helped create young adults who know the value of community, are prepared for their next steps, and will approach them with responsibility and compassion, we know that we are, indeed, “something else!”
Thank you for all you do to make a difference; have a fabulous summer!
Kim
Kim L. Freedman
Head of School
