Roots & Wings

Exploring Global Traditions, Faiths, and Values

There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: one is roots, the other is wings. Hodding Carter

An oft-quoted motto among parents and educators alike, these words inspired us to revisit the name of a program that has long been a tradition in our school: Faith & Values. Each month, we invite a skilled presenter—a professional storyteller, a member of the local clergy, a parent, or a teacher—to bring a memorable story to our children. We chose to rename the program, which is designed for students in grades K–6, Roots & Wings because in every time and place, children have loved those stories that ground them in the past and at the same time inspire them to take wing.

Drawn from global traditions and faiths, from history, and from personal experience, the stories presented at the monthly Roots & Wings assemblies are selected for their ability to teach and to inspire. The program is designed to show us that the basic values that sustain and nurture our world come to us from many sources and that by sharing one another’s stories we can, together, take wing and create a world yet undreamed.

To weave such a story is an art. Picture a weaving, in which there is both warp and weft. The warp threads of the story are strong, unchanging values such as those in the Seven Pillars of Character: Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Citizenship, Caring, Courage. Then there are the dynamic threads that complete the weaving. Guided by intangible shuttles, they create the whole child and the whole learning community. These spiritual qualities are the shuttles of the heart with which children and adults alike reach out and weave themselves and one another into the fabric of community: creativity, connectivity, inclusivity, open-hearted compassion, open-minded curiosity, hopefulness, a sense of awe and wonder.

We hope you will join us for these monthly gatherings. Teachers accompany their classes, and parents are always encouraged to attend.