Contemplations from Kim: To Be Truly Famous
By Kim Wargo
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Spring is here! The cherry blossoms are coming out, and the weather has taken a decidedly positive turn. As we break for what I hope will be a time of rest, peace, and joy for all in our community, I wanted to take a moment to offer just a few reflections.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend my first in-person conference with other Heads of School since late February 2020. The event was the annual meeting of the Heads Network, an organization that supports women’s leadership in independent schools. We gathered in Charleston, South Carolina with facilitators from the Aspen Institute for a deep humanities-based seminar on “The Wellsprings of Leadership.”
The opportunity to sit in a room with fellow heads of school from around the country and dive into literary texts – poetry, short stories, memoir – as a way of considering the meaning of leadership in challenging times was truly a gift. Our purpose wasn’t to talk about COVID. A first for heads’ meetings since the spring of 2020! Instead, we were discussing what it means to lead a community. How do we make hard decisions while building trust? How do we ensure that there is room at the table for all of the voices we need to hear? How do we mobilize our communities to do good?
The dialogue was meaningful. But even more than that was the opportunity for the human connection. The gathering of people for a common purpose.
I have seen that in our community these past few weeks. The PALS Celebration this past Saturday was a remarkable event. Just the act of gathering together across all divisions – families, students, teachers, friends – to share a meal together felt monumental. The opportunity to see our intermediate students share their talents in a student marketplace highlighted the creativity of our amazing kids!
And, then, I had the opportunity to see and participate in the faculty-student show on Friday and Saturday. The show was a real reminder of why we are here: this amazing place is all about stretching ourselves to do things we weren’t sure we could do! The talent of our student actors, songwriters, and directors were inspirational to those of us who had the privilege of standing on stage with them. This is what Lab is all about.
As we look ahead to Spring, there is so much to celebrate! We will gather as an adult community on April 23 for our in-person gala – a Community Celebration – the first since November 2019. We will honor an inspirational alumnus, Ben Mattox ’08, who has inspired our community with his work in technology and his support of Lab’s robotics program.
We will welcome last year’s awardees – spoken word poet, LeDerick Horne, and alumna Mia Van Allen ’16 – to celebrate their achievements and contributions in person.
And, we will recognize one of our very own, Jon Stocks ‘86, as our Outstanding Achiever with Learning Differences. I cannot imagine a more fitting moment for us to honor a Lab alum and Lab teacher with this award. Jon’s inspiring work with Lab’s youngest learners has laid a strong foundation for students across decades. If you spend any time with him, you will quickly note his quiet humility, his strong integrity, and his absolute care for students.
Jon truly is an Outstanding Achiever with Learning Differences, and it is fitting that we will gather together on campus to acknowledge his contributions to our field and to our School.
As I was thinking about Jon, I was reminded of a poem by Naomi Shihab Nye, one of the poets we read in my heads’ gathering. We have honored many people over the decades who fit the standard definition of being “famous.” This poem, though, speaks to the quiet work of teaching over generations that makes our awardee this year so fitting.
“Famous” by Naomi Shihab Nye
The river is famous to the fish.
The loud voice is famous to silence,
which knew it would inherit the earth
before anybody said so.The cat sleeping on the fence is famous to the birds
watching him from the birdhouse.The tear is famous, briefly, to the cheek.
The idea you carry close to your bosom
is famous to your bosom.The boot is famous to the earth,
more famous than the dress shoe,
which is famous only to floors.The bent photograph is famous to the one who carries it
and not at all famous to the one who is pictured.I want to be famous to shuffling men
who smile while crossing streets,
sticky children in grocery lines,
famous as the one who smiled back.I want to be famous in the way a pulley is famous,
or a buttonhole, not because it did anything spectacular,
but because it never forgot what it could do.
I hope you will join us on April 23.
And, I wish each and every one of you a Spring filled with peace and inspiration. I look forward to seeing you very soon.
