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Appreciating Teachers
“[Kids] don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” ― Jim Henson, It’s Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider To all of the teachers at the American School of Brasilia and around the world: Happy Teachers’ Week! Your work, dedication, and commitment to the development of others…
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Three Questions
“All grown-ups were once children… but only a few of them remember it” ~The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry I was recently listening to a series of interviews with Joseph Campbell and his reflections on the essential themes that have emerged from sixty years of his life’s work. He emphasized the interconnectedness of our…
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Transitions
“Light precedes every transition. Whether at the end of a tunnel, through a crack in the door or the flash of an idea, it is always there, heralding a new beginning.” — Teresa Tsalaky I have been thinking a lot about transitions lately. We recently hosted the incoming Head of School for a one-week transition…
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Parent Partnerships
An effective educational program requires full and shared participation from students, parents, and the school. Similar to a tripod in which all three legs are needed to provide support, a student’s development and realization of potential will not be fully achieved if even one of the legs – students, parents, and school – is not…
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Stronger Together
Versão em portuguêsVersão em português “We are stronger not despite our differences, but because of them.” ~Prime Minister Trudeau The recent horrific and tragic attack at the mosque in Quebec and the subsequent categorical response from Canadians and concerned citizens around the world is a poignant reminder of one of our primary purposes as educators. As learning institutions, we…
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Students Helping Students
What does it feel like to be mentored by a national champion who is ranked among the best in the world? To find out, you are invited to visit the American School of Brasilia’s afterschool chess club. Meilin Hoshino (Grade 6) and her sister Karen (Grade 10) are considered to be elite chess players…
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A Green Day
“Let us all work together to help all human beings achieve dignity and equality; to build a greener planet; and to make sure no one is left behind.” — UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon While the scheduling of EAB’s Environmental Day during the same week as the International Day of Peace was not by design, the…
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Viva Voce
“There are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favorite book.” –Marcel Proust Viva voce is a Latin phrase that means “with living voice” and represents an insightful way to describe one of the highlights of our school year. The dual reference of “with living voice”…
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Wellness & Mindfulness
“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” – James Baraz It was a morning filled with everything you…
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Our Human Tapestry
The most moving and important testimonials about learning and school culture also come from parents, whose voices are critical to our collective partnership in support of student development. To complement last week’s post, Our Obligation, which focused on inclusion from a student’s perspective, this post shares a poignant parent reflection on the same theme. Alex…