“Who We Are To Each Other”



These past few weeks have been unsettling for all of us, and I’ve been wrestling with whether to write a blog this week. Amid all the decision-making and communicating of our approach, I’ve been reminded how important we are to each other. And so here I am at my keyboard.

Two years ago when we began the process of writing PolyHonor, we agreed on the fundamental principle that our community would define and redefine itself by the agency of every individual. Those who chose to join the community each year would decide what the community would be. While there would be plenty of institutional memory to guide us, we, all of us, would have the opportunity and the responsibility to determine our course.

As a member of the Poly community, I will act to foster inclusion and to promote excellence in all that I do. I commit to approach my decisions with integrity, kindness, and generosity both on and off-campus.

It is precisely the agency to act and to commit that frames how we move forward. We are not only living historically unsettling times, we are writing our story about how our legacy of action will be viewed. Will our anxiety transform into resolve? Will our fears challenge us to breathe deeply and seek understanding? Will we approach our decisions with integrity, kindness, and generosity?

I can’t imagine any other place I would rather be than in a community like ours. I firmly believe that we will look back on these times with pride, for how we, the Poly community, responded to this crisis. Over the past few weeks, I have seen resolve grow out of anxiety, and understanding mitigate the baser instincts to spread rumors and fears. I have also witnessed extraordinary generosity, profoundly moving acts of kindness, and boundless professionalism. And without question, I have seen our community and those that we touch rally to support each other’s health, mental and physical. However, we are not out of the woods yet. In a note to my colleagues on Friday, I wrote this:

I know that there are still a lot of unknowns ahead, but we will get through this together. I’ve been awed by your collective generosity and willingness to support each other. Over the coming weeks, please remember that there is nothing particularly heroic about trying to do it alone. We will learn together, sometimes struggle together, but always work together for what’s best for our students and our community.
These words apply to our broader community, too. We will get there together.

Be well.

John

 

Polytechnic School, 1030 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 396-6300 or visit www.polytechnic.org.

 

 

 

 

 

Pasadena Now has been published daily since April, 2004 and is among the very oldest continously operated community news websites in the U.S.

Pasadena Now strives to publish a full spectrum of news and information articles in service to the entire community. The publication will remain free to readers and will not erect paywalls.

Pasadena Now strives to provide factual, unbiased reporting. Our opinion section is open to all.

COMPANY INFO

CONTACT

 

CONNECT & SHARE

© 2016-2020 PASADENA NOW, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED