Embrace our Social Connectedness

Dear Families:

“Is human conflict and suffering inevitable?” - Etel Adnan

Recently, I have been reflecting on the idea of place -- what it means, how it shapes us, and how we shape it. 

Perhaps it’s because this is my fifth year serving as Head of School at The Quaker School at Horsham, which means it is also my fifth year living in the Delaware Valley -- a place that has definitely made an impact on my life and my family. 

One of the aspects of living here that I have enjoyed the most is the region’s vibrant and cutting-edge arts scene, which recently came alive during The Fringe Festival in Philadelphia. Over the course of three weeks, 1,000 performances took place in venues around the city. Since my wife Natalia works at a theater, this was a busy, enriching, and truly enjoyable time for us. 

I loved all of the shows we saw … but one in particular really moved me. There: In the Light and the Darkness of the Self and of the Other was a reading of Etel Adnan’s spoken-word poem, performed with music and dance at the Wilma Theater. And it was astonishing. 

The poem, originally published in 1997, explores conflict on scales large and small. In it, Adnan -- who was born in Lebanon and studied at the Sorbonne in Paris, as well as at Berkeley and Harvard here in the U.S. -- contemplates and questions the human necessity for conflict. 

During the performance, the costs of interpersonal and intercountry conflict are brought to light.  Hearing about the human cost of fighting, war, terrorism, displacement, and famine has a tangible impact on me … and it also made me reflect on the work are doing here at The Quaker School at Horsham. 

Our strategic plan calls for us to “embed Quaker principles and process into teaching and learning.” The central idea behind this goal is to deeply embrace the social connectedness and community that make this school so special. When students learn to see the “light in each of us,” they become less likely to engage in conflicts. By enhancing our student’s connection to each other and our community, they learn social skills, peaceful negotiation, and conflict resolution.

Our Quaker principles are the perfect foundation for our research-based practice of Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (CPS). The CPS model engages students in developing their own lagging cognitive skills and solving their own unsolved problems with an adult as their guide and teacher. This stands in stark contrast to traditional approaches, in which adults impose on children solutions while not fully understanding the problems. 

Both literally and then through storytelling, There asked its audience, "is human conflict and suffering inevitable?" Our answer here at TQS is, no. It is not. 

If we imbue our students with deep connections to their community, empower them with self- regulation strategies, and teach them the cognitive skills necessary to succeed, we believe we can help be a light where there is often darkness. 

With the right educational experience, conflict and suffering are not inevitable -- and we can all work together toward a bright future. That’s one of many reasons why I am so proud to work in this wonderful place. 

Shine on-

Alex