Happy Kids
On October 5, we welcomed nearly 150 BUA parents and guardians to our first-ever State of the School event. It was a beautiful moment of connection – families from over 50 cities and towns enjoying the company of the teachers who are folk heroes around their dinner tables and other parents whose children they hear so much about. We are excited to make this an annual tradition. Please enjoy these pictures from the event.
I told a story about my recent phone conversation with a parent of a BUA graduate. She was telling me about her daughter’s experience in college – adjusting to a new environment and navigating her newfound independence. I was telling her about our three-year-old’s first few weeks at school – getting used to the routine, getting to know his teachers, making friends. In the end, we both landed in the same place: what we want – the only thing we want – is for our kids to be happy.
As I shared at the State of the School, the thing I am proudest of about BUA is that our kids – most of them, most of the time – are happy. They are happy because they are at a place where they can be their kind and curious selves. While I was greeting students yesterday morning, I asked them to tell me about some school-related thing they were feeling happy about. Students told me about creating a musical composition inspired by Beowulf; a conversation with a BU professor about his senior thesis about the built environment in Medford; the fall girls’ crew program; exploring pre-colonial Africa in 10th-grade history; interrogating the concept of truth while reading Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography; studying water fleas under a microscope in 9th-grade biology; starting rehearsals for Our Town; strong student interest in Chemistry Club; the all-school breakfast sponsored by the Latin American Student Association; how much fun Greek class is; getting to talk about – rather than just do – math in class. I also heard a lot about their friends who, not long ago, were strangers, but now will be lifelong companions. I am deeply grateful to everybody in the community – parents, teachers, staff, and students – for helping make this a community where these kids can thrive – and smile.