Head of School’s Notebook
March 22, 2024
The vernal equinox has long been my most favorite day of the year as it marks the exact moment when the light and dark are in equal proportion and heralds the official arrival of my favorite season, spring. Of course I love the longer days, warmer weather, and flowering growth. However, what I love even more is seeing the growth in our students at this time in the school year. After a fall season of readjustment and reorientation to new courses and challenges, our winter season is one where the learning and growth are most active “under the soil” where new neural networks grow in our students’ brains like root systems.
Just like a garden, the depth and complexity of these newly established networks of thinking and being are fully on display in the spring trimester. Students are producing their most sophisticated work of the year as evidenced by the depth and quality of their writing, complexity of their analytic thinking, and fluency in spoken and computational languages. We are about to witness this growth with the arrival of our spring musical, The Wizard of Oz, and accompanying art show – beautiful bouquets of talent, courage, and growth.
The most profound growth of all is seen in our seniors who, in their final season here, are looking at each other and themselves realizing what a transformation they’ve undergone in their time on the Mesa. Just yesterday, I walked with a senior across campus as she reflected on the awe she feels at this point in her Cate journey where she’s just starting to comprehend how much she’s grown and just how close she is to the end. Nurtured by the “spirit of this place” comprised of caring connections, appropriate and unusual challenges, and our stunning setting, these seniors are each a distinct expression of excellence unified by our values and an enduring connection to Cate.
As much as it pains us to see them leave our garden as they will soon uproot and transplant themselves into their new schools and communities, we find solace in knowing that our alumni are making the world a brighter and better place informed by spending the most transformative years of their live here. Recently, I learned of alum Su Sanni, founder of Dollaride, a company committed to providing clean transportation to underserved communities, a true embodiment of the impact our graduates can have on society.
Next week we are welcoming a record number of families to campus for our Revisit Day. Just like the cycle of nature, we too are in the process of planting seeds while simultaneously gathering the bounty of our garden. For this reason, I can’t think of a more meaningful place than a school and I am honored and humbled each day to be a part of such an usual learning ecosystem where growth is nurtured at every stage through tremendous love and care.