Lise's Lens: March 31, 2022
In this edition of Lise's Lens, Lise talks about architect Francis Kéré, the new HBO series from Brené Brown, CSW's Panama trip, and this year's first of two admissions revisit day events!
WHAT I’M READING
- I was excited to read that Francis Kéré recently became the first African to win the Pritzker Prize, often dubbed the "Nobel of Architecture.” What’s fascinating about Kéré is his belief that architects shouldn’t be designing alone in a room on a computer; he prefers to be on site to see how things come together in “real life.” Rather than import materials from thousands of miles away, he utilizes local materials as much as possible, designing with the local community’s best interests in mind.
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO/WATCHING
- Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart, premieres tonight on HBO Max. For those who do not know, Brown is an important voice on topics of shame, vulnerability, and leadership. I subscribe to her newsletter and hope to find the time to watch some of her series.
- I’ll also be joining many of you in listening to Julie Lythcott-Haims give her talk on parenting, highlighting the ways in which “overparenting” harms kids and prevents them from developing self-efficacy. Many of you know how much I respect and admire Julie, so I’m really looking forward to this one!
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- I’ve been thinking a lot about our students down in Panama for the “Neotropics of Latin America” mod abroad course. This is the first time we’ve had a school sponsored trip travel overseas since 2019 and I am so proud of our trip organizers for finding a way to make this important trip happen, in spite of the many challenges. I hope you’ll join me in following along with their journey on the Panama Trip Blog.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
This week we were able to host newly accepted students and families on campus for our annual “Revisit Day,” an event we haven’t been able to hold live and in person since 2019. I love this shot of the department fair we hosted in the gym, which brought students, faculty, and staff together to showcase all our curriculum and program have to offer. I am so proud of this community and so grateful to everyone who took the time to participate in the fair.
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.