"Look! I'm really taking my time and being super careful."

            Hello and happy Monday! I can’t believe summer’s already coming to an end. I’ve never been good at goodbyes, but with Westmont it’s always more of a ‘see you later’ than a goodbye. The photo above is from when I started my journey at Westmont. I hope that everyone who read these blogs has enjoyed them as much as I have had writing them. Over this summer I feel as though I’ve been taken back to my roots—not only because I physically returned to the place I grew up, but because I returned to so many concepts I thought I understood, but had lost touch with. As adults, we seem to get in the habit of getting something done or understanding something as quickly as possible so we can ‘check the box’. Then once we finish that task we don’t see any point in revisiting it. I’ve found through being around the children that this mindset can make it hard to hold onto what we do accomplish and understand. Westmont encourages children to take their time with whatever they do—whether it’s a seahorse craft that takes five minutes or map work that takes months to complete. Westmont culture teaches children to be entirely present and focused on whatever they choose to do, something we lose touch with as adults. It can be easy to buy into the idea that slowing down and taking your time doing something isn’t as productive as tearing your way through tasks as quickly as possible. I heard a child say this week, “Look! I'm really taking my time and being super careful.” Westmont’s emphasis on patience always pulled me back to focusing on the work itself so that I could gain real satisfaction when I was finished regardless of how long it took.

            Being at Westmont this summer reminded me that it’s always worth taking your time to really absorb and reflect on the work being done and the ideas behind it. Otherwise, what’s the point in doing it at all? I sat with a child doing a puzzle this week and watched as he slowly turned over the pieces and found how each one fit together with the rest. I got that familiar sense that I needed to rush to get it done even though there was no real deadline for completing this little penguin puzzle. I looked back at him doing the puzzle. With every piece he put together he grinned and said, "Yay! I did it!" He was completely present. Being at Westmont this summer felt like coming home, but it also felt like a gentle reminder to patiently and thoughtfully move forward into the future. I encourage everyone to take their time too. So thank you, Westmont for giving me the opportunity to sit down and take my time with your philosophy this summer—from respect to responsibility to everything in between. I wouldn’t be the person I am without you. 

            All the best,

            Samantha

"Would you please sit next to me tomorrow?": Integrity & the 'Checking In' Mentality at Westmont

            Hello and happy Monday! Last week I discussed the importance and unique role of every person in the Westmont community. With this being my last week at Westmont and my second to last blog, I’ve been reflecting on what my own role has been this summer. This summer I’ve acted as a kind of sponge, absorbing the everyday experience of being at Westmont through witnessing the children’s interactions and Westmont’s role in those interactions. Over the summer I usually hear a child or teacher say a particular thing that seems to sum up everything I’ve been unpacking that week. This week, however, I took a closer look at the dialogue that I’d been hearing over the course of the summer and in looking at these conversations, I ended up unpacking the concept of integrity. I’ve noticed that so many conversations between children at Westmont involve checking in on one another. This takes various forms, from one child asking another “Would you please sit next to me tomorrow?” and the other child answering “Yeah!” with a grin, to a child asking a teacher why another child is sad. Just today a child was frustrated because he couldn’t tie his shoe, so he sat down instead of playing. Another child in the room immediately understood that he was upset and asked me why. Once I explained, he got up and started walking around the room to find work that might cheer up his friend until they both ended up playing kitchen together. It got me to thinking that I can’t remember a single time at Westmont when a child has been upset and no other child has expressed concern.

            While this is just one scenario, this ‘checking in’ mentality is evident every single day. When unpacking this mentality, I came up with two main aspects that lead to ‘checking in’: honesty and perspective. Honesty comes first and last in this; it is a central of being a child. All children have a natural proclivity for honesty—honest in the questions they ask and the feelings they express. Honesty alone, however, does not lead to empathy and ‘checking in’. This is where perspective comes in. In order to successfully ‘check in’ with another person—whether they are upset or you want to ask them to sit next you tomorrow—perspective is crucial. At Westmont, children are taught to ‘shift the camera’ in a sense, seeing things from their peers’ perspective. As they are repeatedly encouraged to consider how the other person might feel, this becomes second nature. Therefore, it feels wrong not to ask how a friend is feeling. As a result, through their natural unabashed honesty and understanding of perspective, Westmont children gain a sense of integrity. Looking through the lens of a child seems to unpack even the most overwhelming concepts. I hope to channel the integrity of the children at Westmont when I go back to college in a few weeks, unafraid to check in on the people around me. Have a great week everyone and I’ll see you next week for the last blog!

The Westmont Orbit: Unpacking Westmont's Tight-Knit Community

           Hello and happy Monday! I hope you're all having great summers so far. I typically draw my inspiration for each post from a direct experience I have with the children during the week—a snapshot of the present at Westmont. This week, however, my inspiration came from a connection to the past. After reading one of my blogs, a fellow alum from my graduating kindergarten class reached out to me via social media expressing his excitement about my continued involvement with Westmont. The two of us were inseparable when we were children, but it had been fifteen years since we’d spoken! We started catching up and discovered that we both go to universities in New York City and plan to connect in the fall. I couldn't help but sit back and consider why Westmont was able to pull us into the same orbit once again all these years later. This led me to thinking about the Westmont ‘orbit’—the unique and quintessentially Westmont dynamic between present students and alumni.

            Westmont creates a mentality that focuses on the different roles children—and people—play rather than on the differences separating people. For example, the older children are often reminded of their status as role models for the younger children. Even when children return to Extended Day after they graduate, they continue to take their role model status seriously. As a result, Westmont keeps everyone in its orbit. I recently saw a Junior Counselor in Exploration Camp sitting on the floor reading a story to a camper nestled right against his side. The Junior Counselor was animated and completely invested in telling the story while the child hung on every word. I may as well have been invisible as I stood and watched them. Only at Westmont could the scene before me take place. Alumni return to their schools all the time, but at Westmont ‘returning’ isn’t the right word. You never truly leave Westmont’s orbit because the door is always open. Westmont continues to be invested in its students. The child sitting beside the Junior Counselor, hanging on every word, is able to look up and see himself as part of Westmont in the future—transformed and moving forward while always welcome back and part of the community. Westmont simultaneously recognizes and encourages the growth of its students while continuing to believe in their abilities and offer them an unwavering source of support.