Jane's Pocket Change: Fitting to a "T"

 When I was a teenager growing up in a working-class family in Britain, tea was actually a major meal--the afternoon meal for the family (although we rarely all sat down to eat at the same time).

Simply put, this meal resembled lunch in my current life. My siblings and I were fortunate enough to live within cycling or walking distance from school and I ate my main meal at lunchtime; actually I think we called it dinner. As I grew to be more aware of the world around me, I learned of so many ways in which socio-economic class differences manifested themselves in Britain through mealtimes. Tea in some

upper class circles was the children's meal, which might be served earlier than dinner, which was for the grown ups.

What I know about tea, the drink now, rather than the meal, is that it is a truly global social leveler (all over the world you will be offered tea, while the quality and how it is served might differ, drinking tea cuts across all social classes).

Fast forward now to my teas with seniors, a tradition begun 10 years or so ago, unknowingly (at the time) built on former CSW heads' "Walrus" habit. Once again this year it's been fun, engaging and intriguing to host our oldest students in groups of 12 of so up at our house. There's no structure or mystery to what happens, although to me, of course, the crust-less sandwiches and sweet biscuits (cookies), along with my best china, set the scene perfectly. My partner, as in so many fabulous events, is Sherrill Bounnell, who is the tea sandwich-maker-master for sure!

This year, as usual, the topics ranged all over the place: from the new furniture in the George Building, via the new signage to Capstone, teachers whom the students have seen leave the school over the years, not much gossip at all this year (hmm), a brief sports conversation and most of all a lot of comfort and pride seeping through. Discussion assemblies over the years, improved clubs and activities and the role of seniors as informal leaders were all hot topics. There was silence and sadness as we touched upon difficult events: the death of Trayvon Martin and some deep community work up to today's wrestling with the Michael Brown and Eric Garner tragedies, just to name a few complex and important touch points that will stay with us.

For me, above all, in these gatherings there is a wonderful warmth and comfort as the students come together in somewhat random groups to sip some Earl Grey (by far the most popular choice this year!), crunch on a cucumber sandwich and spend time with no agenda other than the connection and intimacy that "Tea with Jane" has become. Always a proud moment for me.

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Pocket Change is a web diary written by Jane Moulding, head of school.