01/12/2025
Oh Education, dear friend, what a wild year it’s been, all the paths we’ve wandered and the ones about to begin. You nudged, and you pushed, sometimes kindly, sometimes not. You taught lessons I needed… and a few I’d sooner have fought!
You took me through rooms full of laughter and grit, where truth wasn’t tidy, and courage didn’t quit. Where young people spoke with fire and grace, reminding us grown-ups to step back a little, because sometimes the best thing we can do is make space.
You showed me that change doesn’t live in a draft; it grows as a muscle, shaped by each honest conversation we craft. You whispered, “No magic!” (though you still spark delight). It’s people who shape me when they stand up and fight.
You said, “Find the rooms where wanting-the-work shines, where purpose runs steady, and integrity aligns. Where ideas aren’t hoarded, but shared ‘round the floor. And everyone leaves thinking, ‘We could do even more!’”
You taught me that learning stretches far when connections run deep, and the things we plant together are the ones we choose to keep. From Darwin to Scopus, from TKS to BSJ, from TAS through the ACT, you stretched and pushed me wonderfully every day.
You reminded me gently (but firmly, it’s true) to stop shrinking myself to fit into rooms never built for what I do. You nudged me toward rest (which I attempted… occasionally), and toward clarity and courage, and yes, I am braver, unmistakably.
You said, “More design! More courage! More trying new things! More partnership, honesty, stretch, and new wings! More leaders who dare, more students who lead, more joy in the data, more truth in the need.”
And yes, some moments caught me off guard. Rooms out of tune, the work landing hard. But you told me, “Summer, in the tensions and flaws, if you listen with heart, you’ll hear the lesson it draws.”
You've said, “Keep only what strengthens you into next year, and release what weighs heavy; no resentment, no fear. Bring courage, bring kindness, bring vision, dig in…and sweep out the excuses that dull the work’s grin.”
Oh, Education, dear friend, what a wonder you are; complex and extraordinary, both gravity and star. You test me, you teach me, you carry me through, and I’ll keep choosing this love, every year, fresh and new.
So here’s to 2026, to the work, to the fun, to the places we’ll go (we’ve only just begun!). With learning our compass and courage our glue, there’s nothing we can’t do, dear Education… just me (+ clever teachers, kiddos, leaders...) and you.
- Summer