The week before any school break is an exciting time to be in the Middle School building, and this week is certainly no exception. Our Chapel this week was led by a group of eighth graders who attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference in Olympia, WA. Inspired by their keynote speaker Christian Page, the Tacoma, Washington poet laureate, the students led a Chapel about the seeds we plant and nurture to grow an inclusive and kind community.

They shared some of the insights they took away from the experience including the joy of finding connection with other students with shared values and experiences. One student talked about Page’s idea of considering how you can make a difference within three feet. Who can you impact positively within three feet throughout your day?

They also shared parts of Page’s poem Trees that speaks to what it means to be resilient and “be the seeds that no one expected to be trees.” One of my favorite lines from his poem is about how “our communities are beautiful because we love them.” This is certainly true here in our Middle School and at OES. Even when learning is hard, or staying focused is challenging with break just around the corner, we have a beautiful community because of all the care that our families, our teachers, and our students put into growing seeds of connection and compassion. I wish you all a wonderful and restorative break, and I look forward to seeing you all in April!

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