Lise's Lens: September 19, 2024
This week, I’m thinking about catching up on my reading, intentionally taking the long way around, considering whether to commit to a streaming series, and celebrating a key member of the CSW community. And I’m still loving all the back to school energy!
WHAT I’M READING
- September is such a delightfully busy time in schools. Nothing compares to the excitement and warmth of the new school year — when our campus is filled again with students, colleagues, and families. Of course, this time of year is so people-focused that I’m still not able to jump into a book! I can, however, comment on books I’m thinking about. One book is going to be at the top of my “to be read” pile as soon as it arrives: “Inventing the Modern. Untold Stories of the Women Who Shaped the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA).” Recommended by the artist Tilly @Tillystrauss, it’s a collection of essays by Ann Temkin and 13 others. Tilly also mentioned a book called Nobody's Girl Friday: The Women Who Ran Hollywood (apparently, many of our great ideas from the 30’s and 40’s came from women… and their key roles were erased by history by the 50’s). I don’t know about you, but even when I don’t have time to read, I still enjoy looking at the pile of titles building up on my bedside table and dreaming about the day I can crack them open!
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- I’m embracing backroads…remembering that sometimes the shortest route is not the best one. In my opening remarks to faculty, staff, and students, I talked about my summer travel and why I intentionally tried to take backroads. Not only did it slow me down in my car and on my bike, but I think it lowered my stress levels and made me appreciate nature and people a lot more. This past Tuesday evening, I zigzagged through campus, hitting nooks and crannies and chatting it up with folks I encountered along the way. The result? I had the nicest time with both day and boarding students. Some were throwing a football on the quad; a day student who never used to stay for dinners shared with me that he was thinking about coming to campus every Tuesday evening. Of course being with friends was a factor in his decision, but he also said to me “...take a listen, Lise, do you hear the birds? I’m a senior and I just want to appreciate this campus more before I leave — it has a different vibe at the end of the day”. My advice…remind yourself to take a few backroads this fall. You never know what you’ll discover!
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- I just started the Netflix series The Perfect Couple. The idea came from an article I read last spring about the famous (though new to me) writer Elin Hilderbrand and the fact that she is retiring from writing (or at least from writing her romance novels). Nichole Kidman is a main character, and I tend to like her acting. After Episode One, the jury is still out for me whether I’ll watch the whole series — I’m going to try one more and then decide. As with my reading, I have a “list” of things to watch (however, I do have about a five year backlog — in general, TV isn’t my thing).
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
I just love this picture of Sherrill, and I’m so grateful for our over five years of partnership at the Head’s Office. Here she’s doing one of the things she’s known for — organizing wonderful social events for Faculty and Staff, and for our Board of Trustees. She does it so thoughtfully and elegantly, which makes us all feel so special!
Campus News
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Photography Teacher Anne Rearick Releases New Book
Photography Teacher Anne Rearick has release a new book of photograpy, Gure Bazterrrak (Our Land). Published by the Deadbeat Club Press, the book will begin shipping this winter and will be available during Paris Photo at Polycopies, Porte de Solférino.Read More -
Anny '28 Wins International Film Awards
Read MoreThis past summer, Anny ’28, worked as executive director and cinematographer for two documentary films titled Shaolin Youth and Confined, earning multiple international awards for her efforts.Anny, a boarding student from China, spent her summer filming Shaolin Youth in the Shaolin Temple, a thousand-year-old temple, where she focused on different groups of Chinese teenagers, showcasing China's special martial arts program and the impact it can have on the growth of teenagers from low-income families. The film focuses on the stories of underserved families and troubled teenagers in rural China who are hoping to change their fate by learning martial arts, showing the dedication and love these teenagers have toward martial arts, and the influence martial arts can have on a person's growth. -
CSW Welcomes Students from Panama
Read MoreLast week CSW welcomed 12 students from C.A.D.I. Bilingual Academy in Panama, where our students spent some time during the mod abroad trip to Panama in mod 5 last school year! They were joined by C.A.D.I.'s Director and administrators. During their visit from October 17-21, 2024, they stayed with CSW host families and attended classes with student ambassadors. -
Mod Break Wilderness Trips are Back!
Read MoreMod break Wilderness Trips are back in action with the first one taking students to the White Mountains! During the 3-day trip, students were split up into two groups based on student preference. The introductory group made its foray into the Kinsman Mountains with History and English teacher/Wilderness Trip Guide Aidan Wang, while the advanced group tackled Mt. Garfield with Science teacher and longtime Wilderness Trip Guide Kevin Smith.
Meet CSW Students
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.