Update from Head of School Robert Woods

Dear Members of the ISP Community,

“Peace on earth and good will towards men.”

This common phrase takes on new relevance given last week’s events.  The stark contrast between the events and the phrase certainly gives one reason to reflect upon peace and goodwill.  It also presents a challenge in authoring a holiday message.

At times like this, when anxiety and fear can loom large, I have found that taking a step back and assessing what I consider to be my problems in comparison to the events happening around me, offers an opportunity to refocus and get perspective.  For example, as I was continually monitoring news and emails on Friday, I came across communications expressing concerns about parking and traffic at ISP.  One passing thought was: if this is our biggest problem, we are more than alright.

Once I have established that my problems are, by comparison, manageable and I am therefore “OK”, I move to the next step, considering my own actions. If peace on earth is to have any chance, then I must do my part.  So I challenge myself to respond to a simple question.  “What random act of kindness have I performed today?”  Imagine a world filled with random acts of kindness. 

This thought process motivates me to renew my commitment to our core beliefs as a community.  I invite you to join me in that renewal and work towards doing what we can – individually and as a community – to make things better. 

Wishing you all the very best for this holiday season,

Robert
Robert Woods, Head of School, RobertW@intlschool.org, 503-226-2496 x122