Celebrating our February Speakers

In February, we welcomed several guest speakers, each bringing a unique perspective on the Tiger Topic of the month: kindness.

Each speaker brought a thoughtful lens to the necessity of humans to seek to understand, share in civil discourse, and help others. Together, they drew on moments from history, their own lived experiences, and advice on supporting “the full flourishing of all people,” a key part of our Episcopal ethos. Each voice added something meaningful to an ongoing conversation our students are having in their homerooms and advisories. 

One of our most memorable visits came from Dr. Michael Goodman, a pediatric hospitalist, who spoke to students in fourth through sixth grade about life with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that affects the bones of the face. With warmth and candor, Dr. Goodman spoke about kindness, self-confidence, and the importance of truly understanding others. 

As he was leaving campus, Dr. Goodman shared that he was genuinely moved by the honest, open questions our students asked in a room full of their peers. One fifth-grade student summed it up perfectly: “That was the best speaker we ever had. I learned so much from him.”

On February 17, we welcomed Alex Leonard from the office of the Episcopal Diocese in Arizona to speak at all-school chapel. She told the story of Absalom Jones, born into slavery in 1746, who went on to become the first African American Episcopal priest. He was a man whose life was defined by resilience, faith, and an extraordinary commitment to others.

The heart of her message was to care for your neighbor, even those who have hurt you. At chapel, we are focused on sharing stories of saints and the impact they have had on others.  Our clergy connects these stories to our monthly Tiger Topics, giving students multiple touchpoints throughout the month—beyond advisory and homeroom—to explore what these values look like in action.

On February 24, we were joined by Jordan Murillo, a teacher who works with blind students, and—as our students quickly discovered—a gifted bass singer. His talk wove together music, history, and moral courage in a way that was hard to forget.

Jordan spoke about how music keeps history alive and shared the story of the collaboration between composer Margaret Bonds and Langston Hughes's poetry. His message was that we always have the opportunity to choose to do the right thing, and that it’s always important to work to see different perspectives. During communion, he sang to us, accompanied by Sungmin Kim on the piano. One of my favorite things about chapel is how we are surrounded by song, and how the peace of the service and the music wraps around all of us.

Guest speakers are only part of the story. Every student in first through eighth grade also has a voice. During chapel, each class or advisory selects a value and leads their division in exploring and celebrating it together. To close out February, Mrs. Taylor’s second-grade class led a beautiful reflection on empathy—a reminder that we are a community of learners who have important perspectives to share.