Greetings GreenMount Community,
I
hope this morning’s message finds you happy about your long weekend, during
which we had some great weather, and the opportunity to share with your
families. It seems to me that no other
holiday is more important to the idea of family than Thanksgiving. In that spirit, I must say that I am very
thankful for the opportunity to be associated with so many fine families here
at GreenMount. The expression of family
was highlighted last Wednesday as we celebrated Grandparents and Special
Friends’ Day. The grandparents and
special friends that visit us each year bring a special quality to our school
as they express their appreciation for their grandchildren and special young
friends to attend a school that responds so positively to our students. Grandparents are especially gracious as they
compare their own school experiences to ours and can so easily see the
relationship between what we do and the challenges that our students will face
after they leave us for their next educational experiences, and life in
general.
On Wednesday, I spoke to our
visitors about what we feel our students will need as they venture beyond the
hallowed halls of GreenMount (okay, so we only have one hall). Consider what life was like just 20 years
ago. Think of all the technology that
has changed the way we live. It was only
a very short time ago that a phone’s primary function was to contact people who
were located remotely. Now the phone has
to talk to you, tell you where you are on the planet, play games, store more
data than the 1969 Lunar Lander, and take pictures and video that can be
instantly transmitted anywhere in the world.
What will the next 20 years have in store for us?!
According to futurists, we have no
idea. We have undergone a paradigm shift
in the last 20 years that some compare to the Enlightenment, when people like
Galileo and DaVinci were changing how we think and act. These shifts in culture have occurred over
long periods of time, the last of which was perhaps the Industrial
Revolution. But now, technology has
accelerated our ability to learn and store knowledge. The next shift may come in just 10 years,
about the time our 8th graders are just beginning their careers,
which will change as many as eight times over the course of their lives. Notice that I did not say “jobs,” but rather
“careers.” Those futurists now predict
that our new “silent generation” will actually change their careers several
times in their lifetimes. And they may
not retire until they are 85!
At GreenMount, we are aware of the need
to help our students think creatively and provide them with opportunities to
explore problem solutions deeply.
However, we must work constantly to improve our craft to meet future
needs for our students that are yet undefinable. For now, we will continue to stimulate
thinkers. Voltaire, Rousseau, and
Montesquieu would agree.
No problem can withstand the
assault of sustained thinking. ~Voltaire
Cheers,
Steve
