Sarah’s First Day Message

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first official day at Meridian Academy! I am sure there are a lot of emotions out there: nervousness, excitement, joy, maybe a little sadness at the summer being over? 

All of those emotions are very normal! In fact, that is something I would like to focus on today. The normalcy of emotions and the importance of dealing with them in a healthy way and getting help when you need it.  

I also want to talk about our mission statement and how important it is to our school. As a refresher, Meridian’s mission statement is: 

Meridian Academy mentors a diverse group of students to pose and investigate original questions, work collaboratively, and communicate clearly and creatively. Through these efforts, we foster community, act with integrity and perseverance, and find delight and wonder in understanding and improving our world.

We also have values that are very important to us, which include: Social Justice, Connections and Perspectives, Growth and Agency, and The Power of Small Communities. 

So, how do all of the emotions you have right now relate to the mission statement and values, you ask? Well, I specifically want to look at one part of the values - Growth and Agency - and even more specifically at one line: 

We encourage students…to become more adaptable, resilient, and open to new experiences. 

This particular value resonates with me, because I think it is so important given the world we live in today. Sometimes we are made to think that we should be happy all the time. If we are not in a constant state of pure bliss something is wrong with us or the world or with someone else. I am here to tell you that this is simply not true. It is normal, and dare I say essential to being a human, to feel anxious, sad, happy, nervous, confused, even-keeled, and a myriad of other emotions. It is how we adapt to the various situations we find ourselves in, how we resolve to keep going, and how we try new things that allow us to be our best selves. In one word, this is what Meridian calls “grit” or the motivation to keep going in the face of adversity and challenge. 

Let’s put this in some real life context. You might be in class and a topic comes up that you are unfamiliar with or you are asked to do something you haven’t ever done before. You might initially feel anxious, nervous, hoping not to look badly in front of your peers, or maybe confident…all kinds of emotions can arise. It is what you do in that situation that can help you weather the storm and get the most out of your time here. Don’t just sit in silence. Ask a question! Get some help from a teacher. Write an email to a teacher or to a peer. Ask for help. 

Angela Duckworth, an academic and psychologist who wrote a book about Grit, recently wrote another book called Situated and talked about how sometimes folks have this idea that in order to appear strong they have to be the lone hero or this self-made individual triumphing against the odds. But it is, in fact, those who ask for help–from teachers, from mentors, from experts, from peers, from bosses–that succeed the most. She says in her new book, “True grit requires viewing life as a marathon rather than a sprint.” 

So, I encourage you to have more than just individual grit (which is important!) and work to build your support network. Start today by making a new friend. Talk with a teacher or engage with another staff member in a meaningful way. Get comfortable with the idea of being uncomfortable, because it will happen to you more than you think. But lean in, and don’t shy away from that discomfort. We tend to learn quite a bit from those moments. We are all here to help you as you traverse your life marathons, because we are all in it together. 

Happy first day everyone, and I very much look forward to working with all of you this year!