Volume 24, Issue 1
2020-2021
About U.S.
A Publishing Tradition of The Unquowa School
A Message From the Head of School
I
have two very worn sticky notes on the philodendron pot that sits on my desk here at school. They’ve been there roughly since last March, a
We responded nimbly as a faculty this past spring to the need for full remote learning to taking our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Anti-Racism
few weeks after it became clear that we would all be sheltering in for the
(IDEA) initiative to a Zoom format to continue student and family engagement
foreseeable future and that I would be one of many school folks who would
in our justice and equity conversations, and we built an expansive health
be working simultaneously to create a vibrant remote learning world for our
center this past summer that has prepared us for keeping our students and
students that spring and to plan for the safe re-opening of our campus in
staff healthy and safe as we returned to school this fall. We have kept our
the fall.
school doors open every day since then.
On one of those worn sticky notes is scribbled a wise reminder from
Alums from eighteen to eighty-eight continue to express pride in their
James Baldwin: “Not everything that’s
school’s direction, a direction derived
faced can be changed but nothing can
from and clarified by Unquowa’s century-
be changed that isn’t faced.” These
old mission “to develop, educate and
words are from Baldwin’s unfinished
prepare our family of children with an
manuscript entitled Remember This
unafraid spirit to achieve their personal
House, which addresses the history
best in a changing world.” This mission
of race in America. Although Baldwin
was formed to serve students during
only finished thirty pages of the
a world pandemic over a hundred
project by the time he died in 1987, the
years ago and its bedrock concept has
manuscript’s intent to “re-member,”
impressively continued to do so through
or restructure, our country’s history
last spring and this fall and winter as
continues to be a guide post for those
we faced the impact of yet another
of us who are now charged with helping
pandemic and the call to be part of
young people to see our country’s
the positive move to right our country’s
history in a more informed and honest
history as well.
light.
A quote from the poet Emily
A poem that I often circle back to,
Dickinson, perhaps the most famous
“Of Hope and History,” by the late Miller Williams is a strong companion
and willing of modern shelterers, fills the second sticky note on my desk. It
to Baldwin’s manuscript for those of us who work with young people.
reads, “Life is a spell so exquisite that everything conspires to break it.” Our
Williams’ poem also speaks to our democracy’s need to establish equality
overarching goal, as a progressive, student-centric school, is to partner with
and justice for all, warning us that we must keep our eyes on this goal as
our families to protect that exquisite spell of life so that together we may
the “long gift” we owe our children, whose own eyes “are already set on a
raise and educate children who become adults who are personally happy,
land we will never visit”.
who are engaged in meaningful work and who are ethical.
I have always loved Williams’ expression “long gift” because, as a
It has been through the energy, grit and skill of a brave and loving team
concept, it’s such a warm companion to the “unafraid spirit” we aim to
of teachers and a committed group of tireless parents who have held hands
instill in each young person who comes through Unquowa. This past
with those teachers this past spring, fall and winter that we have been
spring it became a chilling companion as well to Baldwin’s words as my
able to keep their kids connected to our school, when nationally school
faculty, executive board and I faced making the changes to our school
seemed unfindable. The endless work of our visionary Board of Governors
that would help us to “re-member” or restructure our school in order to
and the unwavering generosity of Unquowa’s parents present and past,
soundly face the fall ahead.
grandparents, alumni and a larger steadfast community of friends have
Over the past decade and a half, our school has constantly re-examined
supported our efforts to heed Baldwin’s call to face this year’s challenges
the innovative programming that serves as a framework for providing our
and to protect the exquisite spell of life we have here at Unquowa from being
children with the “long gift” of unafraid spirit, as well as the campus and
broken by any and all conspiring forces.
facilities that support that programming. We had to ramp up that effort this past spring, summer and fall as we
I send my sincere gratitude to those of you who understand the importance of our work and who help us to make it possible. I am inspired
pivoted to new solutions in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
to be spending the 2020-21 school year with all of you.
heightened call to addressing racial injustice in adequate terms.
Sharon Lauer, Head of School