The Gifts We Bring

“Each one has their gifts.They are not for you- they are to give!”             ~Hemat Malak~

A few weeks back I asked our students and staff to join me in a little project. With the holiday season in full roar and the busy-ness associated with this time of year I asked our students and staff to take a moment to think their talents and gifts and share with me one that they felt they shared with others. I gathered all the responses and pasted them into this Wordle word cloud (for those who are new to Wordle, the larger the word, the more often is was used).

A little sappy? Sure. Of course the reason why I thought it was worth a try was simple- empathy. All month long our school has been exploring empathy- what it is and why it is an integral part of an inclusive school and a civilized society. I’ve always believed that private victories come before public ones (credit to Steven Covey).  Before we are truly able to share our gifts or talents with others; we need to have a sense of what they are and know that they are recognized and valued by others.

The essence of empathy is respecting, appreciating and valuing others for who they are and the gifts they bring. There are almost 500 children and adults who work and learn at our school every day. We are a collective of individuals; unique and united- and we make up a wonderful, messy mosaic-we create, we make mistakes, we laugh and we cry. I value and appreciate the gifts and talents of each member of our school community and am happy to celebrate them!

As was the case last year, the Open Office will take a break for the next few weeks and I enjoy the company of friends and family and squeeze in a few trips to the ski hills! On behalf of our school community- I wish you peace, happiness and joy.

See you in 2014!