“We promise your child will discover his or her most precious gifts and the discipline to develop them.”

What do we mean by this promise?

Grab an apple. Even better, go buy a macintosh, a granny smith, and a honey crisp. Each is so different on the outside.  Now, cut each in half around the middle. Aha! A star in each! Seeds in each! On the inside of your every day apple is the hope, the potential for new life.

But will every apple produce good fruit? What is required for a seed to grow?

And so goes our “seeds of potential” exercise. Our students have done this exact exercise every year.

Once the various apples have been cut in half and passed around, Kaylie says: “You are like these apples. So different on the outside, yet with seeds within. Seeds of potential. Special character traits and talents.”

But just like an apple seed, certain things are required for the potential within to grow.

The right soil (environment) is needed.  Proper watering (practice, effort, planning, feedback, support) is needed. And, just as the sun brings the energy to nurture the growth of a seedling, so does bringing light to one’s unique gifts spark the energy to develop them.

Our community exists to shine light on each other’s special gifts and to support each other in the development of them. The light reflects back and a reciprocity of nurturing each other grows in our classrooms.

None of this is automatic; nor should it be taken for granted.  There is so much genius and human potential lost or wasted in this world.

Mark Twain once said, “Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered–either by themselves or by others.”

The road to mastery of skills and talents includes steep hills and wide plateaus; and the tempo for each person’s learning journey is different. While I cannot tell you exactly how your own child’s journey will progress, I can promise you that we will bring the light to the special gifts that lie within and that we will help your child create the map and find the tools necessary for the lifelong adventure of reaching his or her potential.

You will get a chance on Friday to witness the meticulous work of the guides and the children to bring forth and feed each other’s special gifts. (Yes, it goes both ways. This is not a top down approach.)

For additional reading, we suggest our guides and parents read:

Mastery: The Keys to Success and Long-Term Fulfillment by George Leonard and An Ethic of Excellence: Building a Cutlure of Craftsmanship with Students by Ron Berger

See you at the parent lunch meeting and the exhibition of core skills work.