January 16, 2017
Dear SEM Community,
It is a quiet sunny morning in Buffalo.School is closed in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., and I have the opportunity to reflect about the holiday, my first six months as head of school, and to collect my thoughts for the next. It is in this quiet that the words of Miss Angell come to mind: "Make what happens to you, good for you," and "Bring to life the undiscovered self in each individual girl."
Her sentiments and the dreams of Martin Luther King, Jr. seem to go hand in hand and provide us direction. This year is going to be a year of change. Change can be unsettling and it can be inspiring: it is in the midst of change that we must help our students gain confidence and have courage to move forward with the convictions of who they are and what they believe.
Miss Angell spoke of each girl finding her individuality. I agree mostly, but I also hope that in finding herself, a girl will remember she remains part of a bigger whole.
The SEM community, built upon trust and respect, demands more of us. We need to push this concept beyond an individual pursuit of finding self.
We are fortunate to go to school and work with students and faculty from all over the world. We are exposed daily to a variety of opinions and ideas which challenge our assumptions and require us to think.We can work together to build a sense of place at SEM where everyone is included and valued.I believe our SEM can be a model for all schools.
The spirit of "make what happens to you, good for you," is an eternally valuable lesson, but here too we can expand upon this idea. Today, our students have the chance to pursue all their dreams. They can actively engage in creating opportunities for themselves and others. Yes, sometimes things will happen to us -and we will need resilience and strength to respond. Yet, we also must encourage SEM students to be proactive and take the chance to create the life they dream for themselves and for the world.
Optimistically,
Helen L. Marlette