“All human interactions are opportunities either to learn or to teach.”

~ Stephen Covey

The first week of school brings all the feels: excitement, anticipation, trepidation- and probably a few emotions we don’t quite have words for. For me, though, this week has been thoroughly joyful. I’ve loved reconnecting with returning students, meeting our new students, and seeing so many of you at drop-off, pick-up, or simply passing through the halls. If I haven’t seen you yet, I hope I will at Wednesday’s Back to School Picnic (more details below!).

As I traveled through classrooms this week, what struck me most was watching our faculty establish classroom culture. From our youngest preschoolers learning new routines to our middle schoolers understanding assessment expectations and what it means to be part of a learning community, these early days quietly set the tone for everything that follows.

One tiny interaction in an elementary classroom captured this beautifully.

A student noticed that the daily schedule was handwritten, whereas last year it had been typed. The teacher simply validated the observation: “Different teachers do it differently, just like students do things differently. I like to write mine.”

It was such a small moment – swift and seemingly ordinary. But within it was a powerful message: there isn’t just one right way to think, learn, create, or demonstrate what you know. Difference wasn’t something that needed to be explained away; it was simply acknowledged and valued.

And then came my favorite part.

The student looked at the handwritten schedule and replied, “Well, you did a really nice job!”

And there it was: an opportunity to teach, followed immediately by an opportunity to learn.

These are the moments that can be easy to miss in the busyness of a school day, but they are also where so much of the magic happens. Our children are learning from us all the time – and, if we are paying attention, we are learning just as much from them.

What a joyful way to begin the year.