Black history. So much beauty, struggle, resilience, fortitude, oppression, cultural richness, and triumph sits within all that this term entails. Black History is both a veil to see the indomitable power of the human spirit and the ability of the most marginalized to make magic out of little to nothing, as much as a mirror for our own imperfections as members of this diverse community we call the United States. 

"You are a motivator, a positive force, and an inspiration to us all. Thank you for setting the bar so high and for bringing such HOPE and deep empathy to this community.”

Imagine receiving this appreciation message . . . how would you feel? Valued? Appreciated? Loved? All of the above? The special sentiments above were written during Kindness Week, a tradition that Director of Social Justice and Equity Alegria Barclay started four years ago with the help of then Kindness Club President Anna Sandell ’18.

This week, we sat down with kindergarten associate teacher Rashida Blade, who is helping to spearhead new Black History Month programming in the lower school. This programming is designed to elevate past celebrations of Black History by incorporating division-wide hands-on activities.

We asked members of our Nueva community to share their Lunar New Year traditions and celebrations with us. This year's Lunar New Year, the Year of the Ox, is on Friday, February 12.

Lower school science teacher Kasey Wooten only moved into her new classroom in the Science and Environmental Center (SEC) a few weeks ago, and already this move has already brought with it new curricular possibilities. 

Voyage to the Arctic and the Galápagos Islands with middle school teacher Cristina Veresan as she shares tales from her adventures with National Geographic. Cristina also shares her favorite class project of all time. 

Black history is a history that needs to be told and needs to be acknowledged. Without this dedicated month carved out, we might not, as a collective society, take the time to reflect on both the atrocities and the brilliance that Black people have endured and contributed to co-creating this nation.

On the morning of Thursday, Jan. 21, Nyle Fort spoke to upper school students about Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, what it means to be an activist, and how young people can get involved in social movements. 

The organizer, minister, and scholar helped set the tone for the rest of the day’s programming, designed to explore Dr. King’s conception of justice and introduce Nueva students to young social justice activists. 

Mavericks Making Waves is our latest roundup of exceptional student and faculty accomplishments and activities happening beyond Nueva's walls.