Lise's Lens: April 10, 2025
Every week as I sit down to write Lise’s Lens I think — wow, there is a lot going on around here! — and I’m realizing it’s going to stay this way until the end of the school year. After a successful set of admissions revisit days last week, we co-hosted a conference for high schoolers who identify as students of color over the weekend. Then, on Tuesday, we presented the State of the School (click here if you missed it!), and yesterday we celebrated our annual Day of Giving!
WHAT I’M READING
- Today, I am headed to Vermont to kick off the first AISNE (Association of Independent Schools in New England) conference for women in leadership. As the president of AISNE’s board, I will be speaking at the event, and I am really proud to share that it’s completely sold out, speaking to the strong presence of women in leadership in the independent school world. It feels fitting, then, that I should be reading a novel about three women, in Marie NDiaye’s Trois femmes puissantes (Three Strong Women). I am still only partly through but will let you know how it goes!
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- I cannot stop thinking about this year’s incredible Day of Giving! Yesterday, our community came together and showed up in the most inspiring way to raise nearly $300,000 in support of CSW. This achievement reflects the power of a shared belief in our mission and values. From alumni and parents/guardians to students, faculty, staff, trustees, and friends — every corner of the CSW community stepped up with generosity and heart. It’s incredibly heartening to witness such broad support, and it speaks volumes about the impact CSW has on all of us. Thank you for your partnership, your belief in progressive education, and your unwavering commitment to the future of our school.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- It was an absolute joy to witness our students, faculty, and staff shine as CSW proudly served as the lead school for this year’s AISNE High School Students of Color Conference this past weekend. From the thoughtful planning to the powerful execution, our community exemplified the very essence of CSW’s mission—fostering meaningful relationships and inspiring purposeful contributions to the world around us. Watching our students lead with courage, creativity, and authenticity reaffirmed the deep impact of progressive education in action. I couldn’t be more proud of how our community stepped forward to host such a transformative event for student leaders across the region.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
Here’s a silly screenshot of CSW Fund Director Jayoung Chen and me at one of our exciting LIVE Day of Giving Raffles yesterday. What fun!
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.