Head's Lines: Celebrating Our Students

Some say we’re just students passing through these halls. But standing here today, I see we’re more like origami, the same paper transformed with each careful fold, creased by experience, shaped by challenge, and still unfolding into something the world has never seen before. We’ve been leaves on the same tree, growing in our own directions, shaped by wind, rain, and sun, yet all nourished by the same roots.

Sawyer A. of the Class of 2025 shared these words of wisdom with classmates and their families at the Graduation Exercises of the Class of 2025. Hearing these words, I was struck by their poetry and grace, and by the powerful metaphor of connection, resilience, autonomy, and growth that they offer. 

Sawyer’s classmate Adanna O. offered these thoughts: The gift Park School gives us isn’t wrapped in wrapping paper or tied with a bow. It’s a figurative gift that allows us to see how special each and everyone at Park School is. I was special, I was unique, and I was no longer adrift. I had friends, teachers and family that loved me, a gift that could never be bought.  

Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, I find myself asking, “How did these young people become so wise? So caring, so compassionate? How did they come to understand so deeply the value of community, and of the Park journey?” It is, of course, tempting to say, “We must have taught them this,” and surely, in part, we did. But what stands out to me most dramatically is the understanding that what Park offers, what Park creates, is opportunities for self-realization. Along with math and science, reading and writing, arts, athletics, and so much more, Park students discover themselves in and through relationships with others. Relationships with friends, with teachers and advisors, with younger children they mentor or older children they admire, and with the support and guidance of family.  At every age, every stage of the journey, they gain the perspectives necessary to know themselves and stand up for what matters to them, to take the risks necessary to pursue their curiosities and passions. They work hard, they work together, and what they create astounds us and leaves us beaming with pride.

When we worked to define Park’s vision statement last year, we sought to capture the essence of what we aspire to be in all the ways we show up for each other and ourselves at Park. We said, “Find joy in challenge; lead with compassion; achieve with integrity; and advocate for self and others.” Witnessing the accomplishments and growth of our students, I know they embrace this vision, and in doing so, they model excellence in the deepest sense of the word. I couldn’t be more proud of them.

We begin each new school year with fresh energy, hopes, and ambitions, and we end each year amazed by the growth we have witnessed and by the possibilities ahead.  While “graduations” mark the end of one thing, they are most authentically the beginning of everything that comes next. Our PreK students are becoming Kindergarteners, our Grade 4 students are becoming Upper Division students, our graduates are launching into high school. And in the meantime, we have the summer months ahead to savor all the growth that has transpired over the past nine and a half months, reflect on it, and get used to how it feels…before we begin again.

As we head off into summer, I wish you all much joy, adventure, and relaxation in the months ahead.

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