Dear families and friends,
We are truly into the darkest days of winter with solstice just ten days away. Amazingly, it will be lighter when we return from break in January than it is now! While I find myself longing for the light to return, I am also grateful for the opportunities of reflection that this season offers.
For me the season really kicks off with the Spiral of Light festival that we celebrated this past Sunday. For those who haven't had the chance to come yet, imagine a room all in darkness. In the center of a spiral of evergreen boughs laid on the floor, a candle is lit. Solitary and dim, it barely begins to light the room. Everyone sitting around the edges is swathed in darkness. Our sweet-voiced teachers are singing an array of seasonal songs from both Christian and Jewish traditions: they sing in delicious harmonies in English, German, and French. Through the singing, family after family walks the spiral to light a candle and set it down on golden paper stars sprinkled among the boughs. Bit by bit the room becomes filled with a golden glow. Suddenly, I realize that I can make out the faces of the people sitting across the room from me. Friends old and new, grown-ups and children. I am struck by the lovely metaphor that I have just witnessed, articulated in the words of one of the carols being sung: "Each little child shall shed her light, till all the world is warm and bright."
In this season of veritable darkness, I appreciate the unique light that each child and each parent shines into the world. Thank you for sharing yourselves with this precious school community.
Reflectively yours,
Missi
— From our newsletter, December 11, 2018
