Head's Blog

It’s raining here in Menlo Park, so I’m in no hurry to do anything but listen to music and drink coffee. I love to share what I find and enjoy, so if you’re interested, I binged the album “The Stone Roses” by The Stone Roses. (It’s a stunning debut) If you’re chilling today, maybe listen to this: “B-Side” by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges. (Try not to like it.)

This week (talking to you, new parents) is a good one. Portfolio Day is Friday. This is where we showcase and celebrate the work your kids have done throughout the trimester. Because it’s an exciting and public exposition of learning that happens a few times a year, this should be your child’s focus this week. Our entire community will be at Synapse on Friday and you will want your kids to feel ready and able, prepared and at ease. When you, their parent, is a non-anxious and enthusiastic presence on Portfolio Day, it sends a reassuring message about your confidence in their work and in the overall learning process/experience. Your positive interest in what they have done and what they do in school can ease any potential anxieties they may feel about their progress. Kids want to please adults, parents, as most of you know.  

You also want to keep building the trust between you and your teachers. The process started with the commitments you made by signing on to be part of our community. At Synapse, our unique values, our ideas, and key design elements like SEL, PBL, and the BLC, all matter as much as teaching the 1,2,3s and A,B,C’s. You committed to all of it because it all matters to you, and reflects your commitment to us as a school. In turn, we commit to teaching and loving your child so they can be the change makers you want them to be when they are older. That’s a huge part of why you joined Synapse. This trust building has been going on all fall – enjoy the fruits of your efforts this Friday. 

And make sure you bring your authentic self (I only ask no bare feet, wear shoes, please.) because authenticity and creativity is a huge deal at Synapse. It’s not optional and I need you to give yourself permission to be creative. This is why:

“Because I think that most of us really want to offer the world something of quality, something that the world will consider good or important. And that's really the enemy, because it's not up to us whether what we do is any good, and if history has taught us anything, the world is an extremely unreliable critic. Human creativity matters. Right? So you have to ask yourself: Do you think human creativity matters?” - Ethan Hawke

Your answer should be yes, it does. In a world where technology is increasingly taking over routine tasks, creativity remains uniquely human. It connects us to one another and allows us to imagine new possibilities and solutions. Whether in shaping young minds or pioneering new ideas, creativity fuels progress, meaning, and connection. BTW, an AI told me to write that. So there. Creativity is vital. Join us in helping your child tell their own story. Remember, there is no path.

See you soon,

Jim