Dear LREI Community,
December, as you know, has been filled with special events during the school day and well into each evening. As I look back over this long list of meetings and performances, on the eve of the Winter Break, I realize that of all of the events and occasions in which I have participated in the past few weeks, none was more interesting than one of our regular, weekly principals’ meetings earlier this month. Each week I meet with the three principals, Cari Kosins—Director of Afterschool and Summer Programs and Chap Chapman—Director of Diversity and Community. For the meeting in question I invited the music teachers and, for the first time, the president and vice-president of the high school student body. The first item on our agenda was the program for our annual Winter Assembly.
The student leaders contacted me late last month as their constituents had questions and frustrations about our annual pre-winter break, all-school get-together. Jesse Towsen, the president, put it quite plainly, “We think the assembly is boring.” In addition to wanting the group to discuss ways to make the assembly more enjoyable, the students had significant questions about how we choose the songs we sing at this all-school gathering. A number of years ago we decided to have the songs and readings focus on the themes of peace and light—images present in the winter traditions of many cultures and religions. We consciously stayed away from songs that came out of any specific religious tradition. We also decided not to attempt to sing songs from all religions as this is not only impossible to do but ignores the students who do not identify with a particular tradition. This was one of the things with which the students were most frustrated—why did the adults feel as if we as a community could not acknowledge the religious traditions represented in the room. A good question, one I have thought quite a bit about and a topic about which I have strong feelings.
While we are a community that believes strongly in having, discussing, displaying and living according to a set of values and beliefs, for better or for worse we have become cautious and uncomfortable when discussing religion and spirituality. When we bring the whole school together, almost 600 students and over one hundred adults, for an all school assembly we are making a statement that “this is an important event.” To have a song that comes from a specific religious tradition at the center of one of these assemblies also makes a big statement and leads us to many questions. Among them—Can we represent all religions? Do we even want to try? How do we support the children who come from families that do not subscribe to any organized religion, whether or not they are spiritual people? If we sing songs of a particular faith at an assembly is the school “endorsing” one faith over another? The high school students answered these questions by asking one of me. “Why,” they asked, “can we have an assembly to introduce the Hindu celebration of Diwali to the student body” (which we have done for the past few years), “but we would not be allowed to have a Christmas assembly?” An excellent question and one that raises issues of power and privilege, familiarity and ignorance.
While we cannot support or endorse any one faith, or the having of faiths and religious beliefs in general, we also have to make sure that our students and families don’t feel as if they have to check their beliefs at the door. LREI students of deep religious faith should feel just as comfortable discussing their beliefs as those students who are not members of any particular religion are in discussing theirs. We must find ways to have our students understand the importance that religion holds for many, many people, to celebrate the diversity of spiritual beliefs in the same way we celebrate other differences between us and to foster an understanding of the history of religion in human society. In a country where the depth of one’s beliefs is seen, by some, as a measure of one’s fitness to be President, our children must have, in order for them to grow into informed and active citizens, an understanding of the power that belief holds for a great many people.
The faculty will be spending some time this spring, and into the fall, examining the role discussions of religion might play in our school. We will examine our current practices and look for new ones in order to ensure that no one feels excluded due to their beliefs. We will look at the ways we teach about religion in history, literature and arts classes. And we will find time to talk with the children, and with you, about this interesting, difficult and important topic.
I am looking forward to this exploration. We will learn a lot. We will become more understanding of our colleagues and neighbors and we will be a stronger more thoughtful community for having challenged ourselves with this discussion.
A last word. I was persuaded. We will sing a few songs this year that stem from specific religious traditions and will, in the New Year, discuss how this felt and make plans for future events. Please do not hesitate to email or call if you would like to discuss this topic.
I wish you all the best and a Happy New Year,
PS I want to correct an omission. In last week’s blog, I should have thanked the members of the Literary Committee for the many weeks and months of planning that made Book Week—the author visits, book fair and Literary Evening—possible. What an amazing event! Thank you and we are already looking forward to next year’s event.