The Kew-Forest School Opening Assembly Remarks

9/6/2017

The Kew-Forest School

Opening Assembly Remarks

From Head of School, Carla, Jantos MacMullen

Wednesday, September 4, 2017

Good morning Kew-Forest!

I am Mrs. MacMullen - or Mrs. Mac, for short - and I am your Head of School. I am thrilled to welcome you this morning. I am honored to lead this school. I am excited to get to know every single one of you. And I am ready to start this school year with you.

This morning I have two ideas to share in brief remarks before we go on to the rest of our first day of school in the 2017-2018 school year. (Where are you Class of 2018? Let’s give the Class of 2018 a round of applause. This is a big year for them!) The two ideas are “new beginnings” and “accountability”.

First, I have always loved the first day of school. It is full of the unknown which can be both scary and mysterious in a way that draws you in. It is also full of eager anticipation, hopefulness and unlimited possibility. From a positive perspective, the first day of any new school year is a time that allows for a fresh start. What does that mean exactly? Let’s think back - you each ended the last school year in a particular place and whether you were proud of that place or frustrated with that place or both, the summer gap provides a new beginning. Now is your chance to try something different or explore a different approach...to branch out. For instance, you might try to be more organized; to allow others to take a turn before you more often than you used to; to contribute more in class; to assess your extracurricular activities and dive deeper into the ones you are truly passionate about; to make a new friend and expand your friend group; to decide to lead others by your example; to try a new sport; or to make healthier choices at lunch. My examples are only the beginning. Each of you knows what is best for you; the possibilities are limitless and in the end you will be proud about setting and meeting a goal. The first day of school lets you start fresh. I challenge you all to do that and I hope you will share one of your victories with me as the school year unfolds.

Now, on a more serious note, the second idea. I have been thinking this summer about turmoil, specifically trouble between people or groups of people because of who they are. There is turmoil around the globe and turmoil in the United States. In thinking about this, I see our beautifully unique and varied community right in front of me. A community that I am proud to lead. A community where every one of us identifies in specific yet different ways. All parts of your identity make you uniquely you. Kew-Forest values each and every person in this room and Kew-Forest will not tolerate words or behaviors that demean and hurt specific people or groups of people because of how they identify and who they are. I am asking each of you to stand strong and united on this front. I ask you to hold yourselves accountable - to be responsible for your words and actions - and to help each other be accountable to our community values.

In closing, I welcome you all to the new school year. I also want you to know that I have felt welcomed already in this community and I saw many of you give of yourselves yesterday to welcome new classmates. Your teachers are all eager to welcome you throughout the day. In the spirit and warmth of these welcomes, we share and experience the very best of the Kew-Forest community. Here’s to a wonderful year together!

Carla Jantos MacMullen

Head of School

The Kew-Forest School

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