In our last school meeting before the holiday break, we shared all of the Acts of Kindness done by each Discovery Group :
- Baking and distributing cookies to the fire department
- Making cards and treats for the Hyde staff
- Creating food baskets for local families
- Decorating and preparing for the Salvation Army Holiday party
- Baking goodies and delivering "Get Well" cards to Malcolm G.
- Donating clothing and blankets to area shelters
As one student said, "When you do something for someone else without any agenda, you really make a difference in their life and it ends up feeling pretty good."
The second part of the meeting was focused on faculty sharing their thoughts on the following questions:
- What is a challenge that you had to face at some point in your life? How did you react and what did you learn about yourself?
- Identify a goal that you made for yourself at some point in your life. How did you go after it and what did you learn?
Many faculty got up to share their stories and then received feedback from the students. The themes they shared included:
"I learned to face my fear of swimming as an adult which helped heal some of my childhood pain."
"My parents divorced when I was a teenager, and I have had to learn from their actions as I create my own family."
"Being in a large high school, I set out to distinguish myself as a football and track athlete and learned a lot about setting a high goal and having the humility to learn from others."
"I went to college during the Pandemic and did not establish strong habits which later didn't help me. I learned that if you force yourself to change in areas of discipline, you will become what you set out to be."
"In high school, I didn't see myself as a student, but as more of an athlete. My family was very academic and I used anger to hide my lack of confidence in this area. I learned to see my own intellectual potential and now have a very different view of myself in this area."
"I have learned in my life that when I set a high goal, it helps me to face the challenges and find the learning along the way."
Students gave each faculty member who spoke some feedback about their example in the school community. As one student to a faculty member, "Thank you for sharing your challenge and your goals. I see that they are connected."
Laura D. Gauld '76
President