Heads Up

Welcome to Heads Up, a blogging experiment that aims to:

connect the people, parts, and principles of Durham Academy;
share ideas about learning and human development;
spotlight a few of the many wondrous things I get to see every day at Durham Academy.

Thanks for reading the posts below — and sending news, links and ideas worth sharing.

Michael Ulku-Steiner, Head of School

All of this is all of us

Last Monday morning, as we launched our week of preparatory faculty and staff meetings, I began my presentation with the comments below.

Now, two days after demonstrations in Durham and on the eve of our student orientations, those comments seem even more relevant.

Here’s to all the idealistic, uncomfortable, consequential work we will do together this year!

We have lots to accomplish this morning, but before we dive into it, I want to say a word about this weekend’s events in Charlottesville. What happened there was sickening, horrifying and tragic. The shock of domestic terrorism, the specter of the KKK and white supremacy, the presence of neo-nazis – it all seems so foreign to this community, so alien to our work in this school.

I am glad that we are back ……

Posted by mulkus on Sunday August 20, 2017

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More summer reading, along with Chris Villani's “little things, big things, and stuff”

Last month I shared the list of books our faculty will read and discuss over the summer.

This month it’s time for the Upper School students, who are likely feeling the pressure of their looming deadlines (along, of course, with the anticipated joy of getting up early and seeing their teachers every day).

In July I also shared the advice offered by Kathy Cleaver (Co-Director of College Counseling) to the Class of 2017 as they prepared to launch toward colleges, universities and beyond.

This month I’ll share the words of that Senior Dinner’s other speaker, Chris Villani ’17. Chris is packing now for his move to Princeton University. I trust he’ll include a few whimsical items in his suitcase. Enjoy his remarks – and these last days of summer freedom…

Posted by mulkus on Tuesday August 8, 2017

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