A Moment of Community

Even those who are new to our community have likely noticed that, while we are a relatively young school, we love our school traditions. The first weeks of school are filled with annual traditions, from the chalked names of our new students on the steps leading up to campus to the sparkly “little-kid” backpacks many of our seniors choose for their last year of high school. 

One of our time-honored traditions is our Moments of Reflection, where any student or staffulty member can share their thoughts on any topic at a Community Meeting. Over the years we have had Moments of Reflection on everything from current political issues and important historical events to the cultural significance of the Kardashians. There have been spin-offs, too, like Moments of Talent where students can present a performance or a skill, or even a Moment of Champ (where our Coyote mascot makes an appearance to throw some swag into a raucous crowd!).

As we head into the new school year, I was reflecting (pun intended) on these “moments of” and how they powerfully demonstrate an important aspect of our school culture. Whether they are serious and thought provoking or totally goofy and unexpected, they provide our community with a space to share something with our entire school and they bring us together. In that spirit, we are re-conceiving this column in the Courier as a “Moment of.” I will often share my own thoughts and reflections, but this will also offer a space for others to provide their own insights and their unique experiences and perspectives with our school community. 

As with many who watched or attended, I have been reflecting on our Convocation ceremony, which is our first community gathering of the school year. This ceremony, which ushers forth the first day of classes, is a testament to the power of our community and the traditions we share, not just with the people sitting with us on that particular day in the amphitheater, but with previous generations of SA students, parents, staffulty, and trustees. Each Convocation features a few reminders of those shared connections. The Class of 2023 passed “The Spade” to the Class of 2024, a reminder to dig deep and persevere through challenges in their senior year. A group of students performed our beloved school song, which is always part of our more ceremonial days like Convocation and Graduation. And Board Chair Chris Hanna rang our school bell 23 times, once for each year of our school’s existence, as the senior class lined up to create a human tunnel for the Class of 2027 to pass through, which symbolizes a passage into their high school experience.  

While each individual student’s Sonoma Academy experience is unique, all of our students, past and present, are architects of our school culture and part of our community. As we gathered, I asked each of our students to consider the ways in which they actively regenerate our school culture and the ways in which they participate in our school community. I had three simple, but important, messages for them to reflect on as we embark on this exciting year together — Be Open to New, Our School is Meant to be Fun and, always remember, You Belong Here. Please visit our website if you would like to read more of what I shared in my Convocation remarks. 

Each Convocation features both a Senior Speaker and an Alumni Speaker; this year, Esme Hudson ‘24 and Will Twomey ‘18 assumed those honors. Both speeches were different in tone and infused with the unique perspectives of these thoughtful and accomplished speakers. They each also hit similar notes and even echoed some of my own points, as they each spoke about the joy of having fun at SA, the importance of being open to new people and experiences, and the need to be willing to share your authentic self in order to create a place where everyone feels that they belong. I highly recommend viewing both speeches online (you can view the whole ceremony here). 

 

Now that we have enjoyed such a wonderful Convocation, our first few days of classes and excitement, and our annual grade-level retreats, our school year is truly underway. As we settle into the rhythms and routines of this year I feel energized and inspired thinking about our year ahead, and I wish everyone in our community a school year filled with joy, connection, and growth.