Jon Leef, Interim Upper School Principal
I was interviewed by a student reporter for our newspaper, Rye Crop. She asked me for one thing that I thought the students should know about me. That was a tough question, partly because I can ramble on, and one thing is never "one thing" with me, and partly because I am not that tough for students to figure out. During the interview, I decided on the one thing: I believe in the teachable moment; I try not to let it ever slip away. I only teach one section of math students but have the opportunity to stand in front of the entire Upper School student body about once a cycle. Here is one story I shared with them last month and a brief synopsis of our most recent assembly:
During one of last March's nor'easters, I ran into a WWII and Korean War veteran in a local deli that—miraculously—had power. He had driven there to get something warm to eat because he was alone in a powerless home. His son, daughter, and wife had to go to stay with relatives who had power because his wife had some "health concerns." He said he was doing fine with the extension cord he had run from a neighbor's generator. Greatest generation, indeed. While we waited for our orders, he told me of his time in the military. He flew bombers in WWII and was actually shot down over occupied France. He was picked up by the French resistance and questioned (robustly) to make sure he was authentic. Eventually, he was placed in a row boat, rowed out off the coast, and picked up by a suddenly surfaced US Navy submarine. This veteran was recalled during the Korean War, when he flew planes designed to treat the wounded as they were evacuated to hospitals. As he finished telling me about his time in the service, he said it was a great deal harder on him to fly the medical missions in Korea than it had been to fly the bombing missions in WWII, and that he was sorry about that. He promised he would call my cell if he needed anything, and we said our goodbyes.
My guess was that the anonymity of his WWII missions versus the face-to-face pain and suffering he witnessed in Korea was the key to his emotions. I wondered, in the assembly with our students, whether social media and technology in general could cause a similar dynamic for them: is it easier to pass along a sarcastic, nasty, or even hateful comment than to offer face-to-face support to someone who is in obvious need? Recently, as we struggled with a hateful writing on a locker room wall, I realized that technology is not the only potential venue for hateful, anonymous communication. Though our students are not growing up in the midst of a world war, their potential impact on their fellow students and the broader community is substantial. In that assembly, I asked them to consider the person at the other end of the communication—whether face to face or from 20,000 feet.
At today's student assembly, a representative from Challenge Success delivered a presentation entitled "The Well-Balanced Student." About two hundred RCDS parents heard the same presenter this evening, and the RCDS faculty and staff heard him yesterday. There is a great deal to contemplate coming out of those presentations. A narrow definition of success focusing on material gain—preceded, of course, by attendance at the most selective college—was among our presenter's jumping off points. There was a discussion of the myriad responsibilities and obligations our students have, as well as the lack of adequate time to meet those responsibilities and obligations. Of course, the impacts on physical and emotional health were also explored. Many of the themes raised are consistent with discussions I have had with some of you and consistent with some of the ideas I have written about in my prior letters to you. If you missed the parent presentation, I encourage you to review the attached parent resources provided by Challenge Success.For those RCDS families who were not able to attend, Challenge Success has given access to a pre-recorded version of the presentation. To access the video click here, then click "rent", and then use the promo code "RCDS". The video will be available until December 19. This evening, several parents mentioned to me that their child had even brought up the assembly to them and discussed it willingly! As a father of two boys, now college men, I knew this was a rave review! I think the exploration would be worth your time.
I was present for all three presentations, and the seldom-spoken-but-paramount lesson that I came away with had to do with the importance of the partnership between school and parents/guardians. Working together to prioritize the health of our children while nurturing their minds, spirits, and bodies is the priority we share. We can disagree about the best paths to take, but the priority is clear.