Lise's Lens: January 9, 2025
I am so glad to be back into the swing of things after a fruitful trip to China followed by time with family and an inspiring professional development day with colleagues here on campus. Of course, my thoughts are also very much with those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires.
WHAT I’M READING
- About ten days after my return from China, I read the following NYT piece by Thomas Friedman (What I Learned Most From My Trip to China) and it resonated with me. I think it’s worth a read. I’ve traveled a lot and learned a ton with each trip I’ve taken, but my time in China was different — in large part due to the generosity of our Chinese families, who hosted me from the second I landed in Hong Kong to the moment I departed from Beijing. I found out how much I didn’t know and how much there was for me — for us — in the United States, to learn and understand about China. As I said in my introductory letter in our last Gryphon magazine, place-based learning is so important. We invest in exploration because we believe it to be one of the most effective ways that we can help students build relationships, practice cultural responsiveness, and develop a commitment to global citizenship.
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- The day before students returned from break, faculty and staff gathered for a day of community and professional development. Highlights from the day included a reprise of the English Department’s presentation at the 2024 National Council of English Teachers Annual Convention, an inside look at how our Admissions team uses data to inform their strategy and decision-making, and a moving series of presentations called, “Why I Work at CSW.” It admittedly can be hard to get back into the rhythm of things after a long break away, but this event gave me the boost I needed to re-enter Mod 3 feeling inspired and energized for the second half of the year. I continue to feel so proud to count my fellow teachers and administrators as colleagues; our kids are so lucky to have them in their lives.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- Like many of you, I continue to monitor the coverage of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles. It is truly heartbreaking, and frankly — terrifying — to watch as so many lose their homes, businesses, and so much more. We have been reaching out to alums and families in the area to check in and offer support as we are able and will continue to do so as this tragedy continues to unfold. To all of our families with ties to the affected areas — we are thinking of you.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
Working NYC-based actor and CSW alum Will Porter '04 came to campus for a Q&A session about what it means to be a working actor today. It is always such a delight to have alums back on campus!
More News from CSW
List of 5 news stories.
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.