Lise's Lens: May 4, 2023
Lise considers the importance of design on school campuses and offers reflections on Reunion Weekend and this week’s visit with Mitchell and Patsy Rembert and Pulitzer Prize-winner Erin I. Kelly.
WHAT I’M READING
- As we continue to think about our campus and potential renovations to the French Gym and Language Building, I was glad to come across an article in NAIS Independent School magazine titled, “Design Matters: A Look at How We Gather.”“Our schools are often slow to update campus designs,” the authors point out, “and built environments from as recent as a decade ago may be anachronistic to the needs, wants, and problems schools are currently navigating.”Much of what they recommend in the article validates the highly inclusive process we’ve implemented here in the planning phase at CSW and I am excited to share next steps soon.
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- As you may know, last weekend we welcomed alumni back to campus for Reunion 2023. We kicked off the weekend with a gathering at my house and a special event for the Class of 1973 in the new (to them!) Kluchman Lobby and Library. On Saturday, alums were able to paint empty bowls, engage with a recent Alorie Parkhill Travel Fund grantee, and enjoy the musical stylings of Alex Weiss '89 Quintet. It was clear to all who were there how much CSW means to our alumni and it was such a delight for me to be able to hear their stories and show off the CSW of today.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- Wow. I cannot begin to convey just how moved I was by our visit from Mitchell Rembert, Patsy Rembert, and Erin I. Kelly yesterday. If you have not yet picked up your copy of Chasing Me to My Grave, I highly encourage you to do so. The passages in Winfred Rembert’s story will stick with me forever, but being able to meet his family this week has made them all the more resonant, real, and impactful. It was clear in their sessions with us that speaking about Winfred is emotionally very challenging for Mitchell and Patsy, but it’s also incredibly important to them and something that brings them great pride, because they know it’s what Winfred would have wanted, and that talking about hard topics is the only way we can effect real change in the world. I was also highly impressed with Erin and the way she handled the process of working with the family and sharing their story. Be sure to ask your students about this (if they haven’t mentioned it already). It was an incredibly powerful day and I have high hopes that this is not the end of our relationship with the Remberts or Erin.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
In conjunction with our special programming this week, CSW trustee and past parent John Thompson P’05,’07, curated a special exhibit titled “Nothing’s Changing Fast Enough,” in the Thompson Gallery featuring work by Winfred, Mitchell, and Robert Freeman. Community members are welcomed and encouraged to stop in and see the stunning artwork.
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.