It wasn’t so long ago that I was in 2nd grade. Okay – well perhaps it was, but I can still remember my classroom, my teachers name and my favorite subject. I recall vividly that the school had a magnificent wood playground which seemed like a giant castle, filled with mazes and turrets. I did just say ‘wood’ playground…I’m certainly not helping my timeline here. Thankfully, that is all beside the point. The real memories of that time, to a young student who lives it out day to day – isn’t math or reading, it’s the personal connections they make. The interactions they have with their friends and teachers, that leave an indelible mark on their day…day after day. Those are the special moments for a student, likely of any age – but certainly those whose academic career is just beginning.
Something very remarkable happened to the faculty and staff here at Linton Hall School, just a few days ago. It left an indelible mark– an impression to last for years. It began with several composed and mature, 2nd grade students. 4 boys with a desire, a mission and a plan to see it through. For me it started with my need to speak to Mrs. Poole – so I went to find her. I noted the young men standing in the front office, but we are a school, that’s normal. When I asked Mrs. Poole for a minute of her time, she kindly responded that she would come find me, ‘after her meeting’. The next thing I knew, those 4 young students, standing a whopping 3 ½ ft tall (give or take), followed Mrs. Poole into her office. At first, what do you think I was thinking? Yep – what in the world did they do? Then as I walked away my mind ran the gambit – too much ‘fun’ on the playground? Being too silly in class? Surely – one of those. But then, as a mom – my intuition rewound and I recall that no one looked ‘upset’. How could that be? To be called into the ‘Head of School’ office – you must have done something pretty awful. I scoured for a potential answer.
What didn’t occur to me – was just the opposite. What could they have done that was perfectly alright, potentially amazing? This is what I couldn’t have known by just watching…those young students had requested a meeting with Mrs. Poole. They wanted to discuss their desire to begin a club at LHS. Those students wanted something for themselves and their school. They knew they loved spending their time trading cards and sharing the latest updates. But what they hoped for, was more than that – more time together, more time to share and connect over that which they mutually adored – POKEMON!!! Do you know what else they knew? To make their dream a reality – they needed adult supervision. Did you ever think a 2nd grader could be so insightful? The best part yet – they found one! A brave and fearless soul – Mrs. Ashworth agreed to be their “host”. Does she play Pokémon? I don’t think so. Does she even know what a Pokémon is? Perhaps. As for the rest of us, we are reminded; those burgeoning minds are incredible, powerful, and motivated. Those students saw a need, created a solution and enacted a plan to get it done. My indelible mark was that playground and perhaps my failed attempt to become a violinist – that was a disaster. But these students, those that are all around us – they are just waiting to make their mark – indelible indeed.