Lise's Lens: May 18, 2023

Lise attends a curated book “tasting,” reflects on the first annual CE Festival of Giving, and enjoys the creativity exhibited by our students with their original BookTok videos! 

WHAT I’M READING
 
  • Yesterday during Faculty Meeting, English Department Chair Jeannette got us excited for community reading with our students, and Jenna, our Library Director, led us through a sensory-infused book “tasting,” in which we could browse books based on caffeinated beverage inspired themes like “Cold Brew,” (refreshing reads that leave you satisfied), and “Slow Drip,” (contemplative, literary fiction), or “Shot of Espresso,” (quick, page turning reads). The goal was to get each of us to pick a book for the summer to discuss in smaller reading groups with colleagues throughout the year in 2023-24. Some of the books that piqued my interest were South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry, Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver, and The 1619 Project. I already checked out the first book and plan on meeting up with my colleague Nailah over the summer to discuss it as we both read it.

WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
 
  • Yesterday students hosted the first CE (Community Engagement) Festival of Giving on the quad and outside the Dining Hall. I loved this event because it demonstrated how giving can be something joyful. It’s not just about duty or service but about getting to know your neighbors and being a part of each others’ lives. It’s important to recognize that this day was a culmination of months of partnership with these organizations, rather than a one-off day of donations. This made the experience both more meaningful and impactful. 

WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
 
  • Earlier this spring, advisory groups worked together to create “BookTok” posts about their community reading selections. The final reel of videos, which was shared in assembly this week, was an entertaining collection of clever, creative, and kooky commentary on the reading experience! Watch a selection here. And by the way, the topic of communicating and sharing using Tiktok (a medium I don’t know so well) was brought up last night by our guest speaker, Deborah Offner, whose session covered social media. More on this below! 
 
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
 
I learned about so many important strategies and trends last night at our event for parents and guardians with Dr. Deborah Offner — Variable Moods, Viral Videos, and Virtual Realities: Navigating Your Child's Adolescence. I am grateful to our our Health and Wellness team who sponsored this  event.

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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.