Dear Cushman Community,
The past few weeks, and more recently this past weekend have been painful as we listened to and viewed the unimaginable violence that occurred through terrorist attacks. I know each of us has a very heavy heart and I ask that we keep our global neighbors, and our own Cushman families who have relatives and friends in Europe, Russia and Israel in our thoughts. As we unite with our world citizens in mourning those who suffered and lost their lives through those violent acts, let us always be reminded of the importance of promoting and teaching our young children how to interact with others peacefully, while accepting the many ways in which diversity presents itself.
Your children are growing up in a turbulent world. It is a world in which uncertainty and instability are on the rise. While the global problems we, and our nation face, such as terrorism, will continue to become more dynamic, complex, and difficult to solve, we, as a school community can continue to make a difference in the lives of our children and those they influence. They, in turn, will become the roots for others to grow in acceptance. This will happen when we each reaffirm the importance of learning about and respecting each other’s differences. Whether those differences are related to race, learning styles, culture, religious beliefs, and/or family compositions, each makes us unique. Each, in many special ways, has a different story to tell, and through those stories, our children can become more connected. When our children become more connected, they can live a more peaceful existence.
I ask that you please refrain from allowing your child to watch any violent acts on television. Additionally, do not permit your child to listen to music with lyrics that reflect disrespect and/or violence or play violent video games. It is through this repetitive listening and viewing that children become desensitized to violence, and in the minds-eye of a child, the distinct difference between what is fiction or non-fiction, becomes blurred.
Dr. Laura Cushman was a brilliant visionary whose philosophy of character first is ever more important for your child today. Let’s work together in strengthening and enlivening this mission as your child must continuously call upon those virtues as he or she learns to flexibly navigate a world without boundaries, and one in which experimentation, creativity and innovation to learn new ways of doing things, are at the forefront. The demonstration of your child’s character must always come first. It is the Cushman Promise and it is the Cushman way. There is no doubt that if we accomplish this mission together, the world will be a more peaceful place.
All my best,
Arvi Balseiro