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Head's Blog

Did you know Synapse Head of School, Jim Eagen, used to be an English teacher? To this day, he still loves to write! These blog posts come from his own pen and often start as emails or speeches to the Synapse Community.

Read on! 

Latest from Jim

Thoughts on Events in Israel and Indigenous Peoples' Day
Jim Eagen

Friends,

Yesterday was Indigenous Peoples' Day, a holiday in the United States that celebrates and honors indigenous American peoples and commemorates their histories and cultures. So, my wife and I took our dog for a walk around Onondaga Lake, in Syracuse, NY, where we have a family home and are a drive away from our daughter who is a senior in high school. It's my very last Fall Family Weekend at her school, which is also my alma mater. Time seems to have literally flown by. 

Onondaga Lake is known as a sacred lake to the Haudenosaunee, whose Confederacy is made up of the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora. Often described as the oldest, participatory democracy on Earth, the Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s constitution is believed to be a model for the American Constitution. Haudenosaunee means “People of the Longhouse.” The Onondaga are the Keepers of the Fire, while the Mohawk, Seneca and Onondaga act as the Elder Brothers of the Confederacy. The Cayuga and Oneida are the Younger Brothers on the Grand Council. The main meeting place is still in the Onondaga territory, and the Haudenosaunee, remarkably, continue to have a wonderful and visible presence in and around Syracuse.

Each nation within their Confederacy has its own unique culture and the purpose is for everyone to ‘Put our Minds Together as One’ and give thanks and acknowledge the 'total collectiveness of our world." All nations in the Confederacy are guided by the value of always thinking ahead and considering Seven Generations. “Nations are taught to respect the world in which they live as they are borrowing it from future generations." This is their way. 

I was wrestling with this idea — to respect the world in which we live as if we are borrowing it from future generations — while trying to digest the latest heartbreaking and terribly distressing news from afar. This weekend’s attacks on Israel, initiated by the terrorist organization Hamas within the Gaza territory, have plunged the region into a devastating conflict yet again. This attack, to the world’s horror, was made immediately visible via social media, and therefore more visceral. We could see civilians, including older people, women and children, killed and taken hostage. The terrorists burst through border fences without warning, on the Jewish Sabbath and a Jewish holiday. We, as a school, strongly condemn the attack. 

Many within our Synapse community may have family and loved ones directly affected by these events, adding a deeply personal dimension. I find it unsettling and upsetting thinking about you and your loved ones. 

What can we do? Focus on our children, the future generation. And often the first thing kids think about in the wake of troubling news is whether they’re safe. Our role as a school, and you as a parent/caregiver is to protect them and they need to know that we will do just that. It’s also appropriate to tell kids that it’s OK to feel scared, which models how you handle anxiety as well. Normalize and validate how they’re feeling. You can even say you’re feeling scared and sad too, as it's normal. 

Remember, we teach them about their emotions each day. Even I do, as Head of School. Last week, I quietly checked in with a kindergarten girl at recess, noticing she was alone. She said she was feeling a little nervous so she was quietly singing, because it makes her feel better. I said I feel nervous from time to time, and I sing, too. She was validated, and within a minute or two, a friend came over to ask her to play. Off she went. 

As I write this, in the background is a song, with the lyrics "Find the people that you know/Show them all of your good parts." That is something that we can all do. I would add, make sure they know you love them well. All of them. And finally, as the Haudenosaunee do, think deeply about what is ahead by continuing to respect the world, and the people, in which we live. We are borrowing it from future generations, so let's put our minds together as one, and give more thanks for the "total collectiveness of our world."

Warmly,

Jim