Reflections by Division Leadership

Recently our Division Heads reflected on several questions regarding their work at SAAS including what energizes them, what their favorite time of the day is, and what hopes they have for their divisions. Here are their responses to these those questions:

REFLECTIONS

Julia Kassissieh

Head of the Middle School

The sense of belonging in our Middle School space energizes me every day. It is the combination of our institutional belief in a broad definition of talent and the connections I have every day with so many extraordinary people that make our community so vibrant. This broad notion of talent deeply resonates with my own beliefs and what I want for our Middle School. It sows the seeds of inclusiveness and opens the mind to many possibilities.

My favorite time of day is lunchtime when our students are busy socializing, working in the maker lab, planning events in the Seattle Academy Leadership Team (SALT), contributing to the work of the community, playing soccer on our rooftop playground, or dining in our beautiful common space. Teachers are providing support to students, collaborating as a grade level, supervising clubs, and getting to know students outside of the classroom. The Middle School at lunch reminds me of a busy town and shows me how much our students love being at school. This is always my hope for our students and a differentiator in middle schools. Our students love to be here! That they feel heard, welcomed, seen, understood, and valued in our Middle School community.

Leading for an inclusive community and the future is no simple act. It is always in the service of others but also for the future of the organization. Our faculty reach out to students daily to make connections, understand our students more fully, and to demonstrate the commitment we all share for their care. We do this one person to another, day in and day out, making our choices together as a community to reach across all our differences and see the potential in each one of us. I hope that we can maintain our deep knowledge of students and leverage that for continued innovation in our Middle School program. ☜

Giselle Furlonge

Head of Upper School

My favorite time of day at SAAS comes at around 7:30 AM as I walk into a quiet Arts Center. Walking down the hall to my AC206 office I often stop to contemplate the carefully hung student artwork. As my eyes are drawn to the color contrast or different textures of the beautiful pieces, I mentally run through my calendar for the day. If it’s a Visit Day, I’ll begin with a Parent Coffee where I have the opportunity to share with prospective families what drew me to Seattle Academy and what I find energizing about working with the faculty and students. On other days I might engage in a Upper School Division Team meeting where we engage on a variety of topics—ranging from planning the next Upper School Meeting to considering innovations in our advisory program. My favorite mornings begin with a classroom visit where I see our students in action, participating in a seminar discussion or undertaking a lab experiment.

What has excited me most in my role as Head of the Upper School has been the opportunity to continue my career in an environment that places academic curiosity and a commitment to kindness at its center. In those quiet moments before students and faculty fully arrive I eagerly anticipate what the day promises—the exciting messiness of learning, the joy of collaboration, and the thrill of educating students to lead lives that make a difference in the world.

I came to SAAS because I saw my own personal and professional ethos visibly reflected in the school’s commitment to inclusion and belief in a broad definition of human talent and potential. SAAS is a school animated by a culture of reflection, civic engagement, and an abiding adherence to a powerful imperative to “Know the Kid.” Each day affords new possibilities for how to imagine and enact that mission as we grow our community. ☜