Finding Magic in the Mess ABOUT A  3  MINUTE READ –  Transitions can be hard but they can also be magical.  During the school year, the magic of The Leelanau School can be clouded in conflict, struggle, and growing pains, but between graduation and alumni weekend, it is undeniable.  We’ve had so many past students return or reconnect with us these past few weeks to share what Leelanau meant to them. Some of them graduated here, some of them didn’t. Some were here 4 years, some less than a semester. Because, from day one, we’re not like other schools. It takes resilience and faith to learn and teach here; just like it takes resilience and faith to succeed in today’s rapidly changing reality Instead of “teaching to the test” we create the conditions for learners to learn how to learn. Life isn’t about what you know or can memorize and regurgitate on a test, especially now when most facts are a few taps away on a device in our pocket- but so are a lot of AI fails, fiction, and deliberate misdirections.  I was reminded just today as I was...

Back-to-School Pictures ABOUT A 3 MINUTE READ –  August’s end and September’s beginning are the times when our social media feeds are filled with photos of our friends’ fresh-faced kids standing in smart new outfits, perched on their porch, in the driveway, or in front of a big yellow bus. Some hold up signs or fingers matching their upcoming grade, while others clutch colorful new lunch boxes announcing their interest du jour. Most are grinning from ear to ear in anticipation of old friends, new teachers, and the promise of learning adventures.  As a teacher myself, raised in a family of educators, I’ve continued this tradition well into adulthood. My mom still awaits that back-to-school photo text from me, though the lunchbox has been replaced with a mug of strong coffee in one hand and often a class pet in the other. My cheesy smile is a giveaway of my excitement for the morning bell and a classroom of eager learners. And, boy, was I in trouble with Mom my first September at Leelanau when I didn’t send a picture! By no...

For Our 2024 Seniors Who Taught Us to “Smile and Shine On” ABOUT A 3 MINUTE READ –  I recently took a trip to a local restaurant with a few students, and as we drove through the twists and turns back to campus, the hemlocks stood tall. One of the students, valedictorian Sophie Schwartz, said, “This is my favorite thing in the world when the sun peeks through the trees.” And honestly, what our 2024 graduates may or may not realize is that they’ve exhibited this very act throughout the entire school year. Instead of sun beaming through trees, though, they acted as mentors, kindness-givers, and peacemakers within our whole community. Their rays beamed when the sun did not. So, with overflowing gratitude to the seniors, we most certainly had a memorable year. As the final semester neared the end and the memories started piling up, I kept thinking about the famous song by the Youngbloods, “Get Together.” It’s as if the seniors memorized the chorus because they most certainly lived its actions throughout the school year. The chorus sings… “You...

The Leelanau Kitchen: Where Family Nourishes Family ABOUT A 3 MINUTE READ –  Each and every morning, when I walk into the dining hall to grab my fork and spoon, I see the smiling faces of Melissa, Katlyn, Alex, Zoe, Kate, or Jen. You can see it in those kind eyes of theirs, they truly love feeding us. Likely because they know they’re not just nourishing our bodies. You see, it’s much more than that. They’re showing us their love by creating beautiful meals which fuel our minds, bodies, and spirits. Whether it’s the predictability of “Half a Waffle Wednesday” or the fun curveballs they throw at us at lunch like chicken tikka masala and chickpea curry, we always leave the dining hall feeling full in more ways than one. A recent hit which served up a homerun was brinner, or breakfast for dinner. Students came in by the droves to scarf down extra helpings of biscuits and gravy, hash browns, and of course, waffles with whipped cream.  The detail the kitchen staff puts into each meal does not go unnoticed. During snack time we get a variety of...

Alive and Electric: Students Return from Málaga, Spain ABOUT A 4 MINUTE READ –  “You really have to step out of your comfort zone if you want to enjoy another culture. If you don’t open up, you’ll close your opportunity to learn. When we fear things that are different, people may try to distance themselves. But in Málaga, Spain, you couldn’t do that because you were surrounded by a new experience everywhere you looked. There are things in certain countries you will not enjoy, but if you push through, you’ll find so many that you do,” said Senior David Best.  Ten Leelanau students recently returned from Spain – a trip of a lifetime. While the trip was planned meticulously for them, it’s pretty vital to point out that our students experienced everything so fully because they were open to it. Our hope is that learning and living The Leelanau Way helped prepare our students to do exactly what David said – to get out of their comfort zone to get the most out of life. And it’s the students’ brave leaders, Señora Melissa Ellsworth and Mr. Cris Piña...