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Leadership
Lise's Lens
Lise's Lens: October 9, 2025
Like many of our students, I have been so busy and engaged with school-related items this week that I’ve hardly had the time or mental capacity to read or watch anything, but I’ve got a few items on my list, like the winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature and the important upcoming documentary, The Librarians. Happy End of Mod, everyone, and thank you for a great six weeks.
WHAT I'M READING
Reader's block is a thing!This past week has been an interesting one for me. I have started and put down three books. Perhaps I will come back to them eventually, but I just couldn’t get myself to stick with anything this week. Does this ever happen to you? When this occurs, I sometimes find it is helpful to take a break from reading actual books and read instead about books. I’ll read book summaries on GoodReads or browse The New York Times Book Review. Or sometimes I’ll scan summaries of books that are finalists for awards such as the Booker Prize or the National Book Award. And then of course, today, I woke up to see that Laszlo Krasznahorkai had won the Nobel Prize in Literature, so I had to read about that! I think I am going to order his debut and see how I like it.
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT
The end of the mod!It doesn’t matter how many mods I experience at CSW; the end of each one always seems to creep up on me! But I am really grateful to operate on a calendar like ours that allows for reflection at frequent, regular intervals. This past mod, I made a point of sitting in on classes — specifically our 9th grade Food, Justice, Power classes — and it has been such a delight to see our students and faculty in action. It’s a wonder that just a few short weeks ago, most of these students did not know each other, and now I get to see them studying, learning, and collaborating together like they’ve been doing so for years. This is a highly intentional part of the Food, Justice, Power curriculum — to help our students get oriented and settled into school. It’s amazing how coming together, examining important topics, and engaging in critical thinking can bond a group.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
The trailer for The Librarians.
Again, this has been a tricky week for me. I have not watched a thing. Not one thing! However, I have been wanting to watch a documentary called The Librarians. I’ve listened to interviews with the director and executive producer, and I am very intrigued. It’s at the top of my list, ideally in theaters, but more likely when it comes out on streaming. I’ll have to watch it, of course, but I could imagine it being an educational watch for the full school community. Watch the trailer here. It gave me chills.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
It’s been a busy end of the mod with multiple special schedules and back-to-back days of academic classes, so on Tuesday, the Academic Office hosted an ice cream social on the quad with music, games, and fun. It was a beautiful, bright and sunny day!
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.