Holidays are a time for reflection, gratitude and surveying the horizon for new opportunities.

Bernard Bull is a deep thinker and respected voice in the education world, with over 200,000 followers.  Last night, Bernard called Acton Academy “one of the most important educational stories in our generation.”

We know better than to read our own press clippings.  We understand how much work remains to be done.  We also know each of us, and each of our heroic families has been given a great gift, the chance to make a real difference in the world, individually and together.

Middle School is one example of how much work remains. Thanks to the genius of Maria Montessori, Socrates, Sal Khan and others, we have a robust elementary studio model on which to build.  Middle school is an entirely different world, where we still face challenges.

The Peter Pan Syndrome in young boys (and some girls) is a real one, embedded deeply into the human archetype.  We won’t “solve” it, because it’s not a solvable problem, or Lord of the Flies and Pinocchio wouldn’t still be classics.  My bet is we’ll discover a vessel and structure to allow many middle school aged heroes and families to grow.

Laura and I are deeply grateful to have each of the Acton Eagles and parents in our lives.  We know it’s a gift.  So we hope after this coming week you get some well deserved rest over the holidays, and come back refreshed for more discoveries and challenges in 2018.