Dear Boundless Families:
I had time to spend time on my dock Sunday afternoon with my wife and very own acne prone pubescents.
I have your kids to thank.
Both groups have hit the sweet spot of group process. Everything feels centred. The right mix of challenge and comfort. My phone is quiet. The kids can’t get enough of each other.
Mind you, our staff are still on their toes. While we count our lucky stars at our good fortune – for what teacher doesn’t love a superb class – we know that hubris kills.
To prove a point:
Tony looks me straight in the eye and proclaims that the English tribe is “the best group I have ever worked with”. I bet you say that to all the girls Tony. He insists.
And as if its Tony’s words straight to the heavens, a third of the laptops decide to go wonky. Kids become paralysed. A calamity.
I have ordered 10 spanking new ones – should come today, but until then, its back to the Bronze age for some. Teens up here tend to use laptops like frisbees. They’ll just have to cope.
And in fact, they have had to cope with a lot. Boundless is a big deal. Our approach to education is rather unprecedented. Kids have seen nothing like it. They must be malleable like water to adjust. Our emphasis on kids supporting each other can be daunting at first. But if it works, and in this session it has in spades, the dividend is this massive emotional safety zone.
The outdoor crew returned from an exquisite 4- day river journey. I am not kidding, this place is a throng of bunnies, buttercups and prancing deer. The couldn’t help but be in awe.
Of the sixteen, two stand out as needing a special something, socially. The way the other fourteen have absorbed them into their clan with patience and humour blows us away. So they are a unit. All have found a place. I heard them shrieking all day yesterday in their eco-challenge. Tomorrow, it’s more paradise for them. They do the lower Dumoine river for two nights, and will paddle by 500 foot cliffs, have lunch by an 80 foot waterfall, and wrestle with Red Pines Rapids.
It’s a tough life, I know.
I get the honour of teaching an English class about metaphors on Tuesday. I will be using music and lyrics as a primer. So all day Saturday I was screwing around choosing my 5 best songs. I felt like a teenager again. Can’t wait.
Until next time,
Steven
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