Head of School’s Notebook – It’s About Time

February 7, 2025

Our dancers put on the most remarkable Dance Convocation this week centered on the theme of time and all its dimensions. Like the seasons, the various qualities of time have their own rhythm inviting us into a fuller experience into the cyclical nature of our inner lives. Many cultural and religious traditions speak to the difference between what the Greeks refer to as Chronos, chronological or quantitative time, versus Kairos, a possibility laden dimension of time where we seem to lose track of ourselves in pursuit of the magic of the moment.

In a culture where productivity drives us to make the most of every minute, we rob ourselves of the power of rest and retreat. Paradoxically, shifting into a non-linear state of being where wonder and wander drive action refuels our capacity to achieve excellence in our work.

Here at Cate, we seek opportunities to provide our students (and each other) the chance to unplug, look beyond the immediate, and drop into a fuller experience of place and play. The Free Day we enjoyed this week was one of the many pockets of time we uplift and value in addition to in our outdoor program, afternoon co-curriculars, pauses at sunset bench, or even the simple pleasure of getting from here to there throughout our day on this picturesque campus.

However, we must be vigilant about protecting and nurturing these moments as they are increasingly rare and vulnerable to the allure of our screens. I am just as vulnerable as the rest of us to falling into the trap of hyper-productivity or seeking solace in the emptiness of scrolling. Like the difference between junk food and a nourishing meal, attending to our attention is best served by listening to how we feel when we choose one way of being over another.

I derive a great sense of meaning and purpose in my work when I stay focused on the great opportunity of adolescence where we have a distinct, time-bound window to shape the actions, behaviors, and self-perceptions that will endure for a lifetime. As we help our students make wise choices in all dimensions of their lives, let us also remember to reinforce the importance of rest and play. Social psychologist and author of The Anxious Generation Jonathan Haidt reminds us, “If you have a play-based childhood rooted in a real community, you have a lot of protection from the age of the smartphone.”

We are so fortunate to live in an intentional community here on the Mesa where we value the importance of a healthy approach to excellence and an excellent approach to health. At the root of it all is our relationship to time, ourselves, and each other nurtured by what Curtis Cate called “the spirit of this place…all compounded of beauty and virtue, quiet study, vigorous play, and hard work.”