Happy Friday,

In the evening, after the sun has set, if you turn left when you leave our school you drive towards the ocean. Above the treetops at light reaches across the night sky, disappears and reaches across again. It is the light of the Nauset Lighthouse. A light that shines bright as a beacon for navigating dark waters.

Light takes many forms. A smile. A nod. A gesture. Light gives us what we need to move forward, to see clearly, to understand completely. Knowing our own light – we are able to contribute to the greater good. Leaning into our education is about finding, honing, and applying our light.

The newest members of our school community – our ninth grade class – have reminded me of the power of education as they responded to this question recently posed to them: 

How could you contribute to your school during these nearly impossible times?

At first their answer was pragmatic:  Let’s make masks with a message about who we are. That idea took root and grew into a more existential effort to capture the essence of our school.  

“Shine Bright Nauset Light” are the words that emerged from their discussions. At first the invitation seems directed toward the actual lighthouse that stands at the end of our road and shines out over the Atlantic. A closer read reveals a deeper layer, the one brought forth by them for our consideration – one that suggests Nauset – our school – is a light. 

As we begin to emerge from what has been a dark time – a new question presents itself. How did we make it? How did we get through? How did we find our way to the other side of what at times seemed like a tunnel without end – a time without light.

Our Nauset light of creativity, perseverance, resilience and hope shone forth so many times for us. Much like our physical lighthouse, our Nauset light kept coming back around to help us from losing our way – sometimes it was a piece of art, a performance, a comment in class, an exchange in the quad, a moment on the field, a selfless act of courage to support someone in need. 

At the heart of our light is our commitment to education – which of course is a commitment to the future. We teach, our students learn, and our families support because we all believe that through learning we can improve our situation. We can find a sustainable energy source. We can conduct research to produce medicine that saves lives. We can produce art that swells the spirit. We can learn to do the math necessary to find the pattern that reveals the answers that could not have been predicted. We can learn skills and develop the strength to thrive physically and emotionally. We can learn to connect with others on a deeper level and live inclusively with peace as our common ground. Learning makes the future possible.

I invite everyone this weekend to join with our ninth grade and their invitation to: “Shine Bright Nauset Light.” When they looked at themselves and their new school and considered how they wanted to be known their answer was clear: We want to be the ones who stand strong and shine the light. I can think of no better call for the outermost high school.

Peace,
Chris