A Glimpse at Our Place in the Wider School World
by Vince Durnan
Just returned from a remarkable gathering of independent schools in DC—at Georgetown Day. What they talked about, and what they think of USN from their respective distances, deserves sharing:
Just returned from a remarkable gathering of independent schools in DC—at Georgetown Day. What they talked about, and what they think of USN from their respective distances, deserves sharing:
Having convinced you to click through to this paragraph, let me open with deepest appreciation for the beauty of last weekend’s community events—Fall Fest and the Book Frenzy. If you went, despite the rain, you know how cool it was to see such a broad swath of the USN population hanging out together—across grade levels and neighborhoods and activity preferences and family types. And it was all wrapped around the salute to books in the Cheek Gym. In an age of screens and short attention spans, people of all ages and interests lingered over tables of books we all shared with each other, with prices and titles that made it impossible to leave empty handed.
Those two events underscored what so many of us love most about USN—the power of coming together behind a compelling idea, the chance to be around so many interesting people, and the spirit of inclusiveness that offers a welcome to all of us. What does that have to do with my recent junket to DC? Everything, really, because the ambitious title of the conference was "The Future of Diversity Symposium," and it focused perhaps most of all on turning good intention into meaningful action.
USN joined more than two dozen schools largely from the two coasts, with a few others in between (namely Dallas and Denver and St. Louis) at Georgetown Day, a school community widely acclaimed for its intentional work on building an inclusive and diverse K-12 community. The conference asked for teams from each participating school—in our case that meant Director of Diversity and Community Life Treda Collier, Trustee Ivanetta Davis Samuels (’86), and yours truly. We arrived a little self-conscious about our place in the circle, given the high profiles of so many other participants.
As it turns out, our worries ended up unfounded. Probably in part because of the obvious depth of wisdom evident in my two colleagues, we ended up at the center of many conference sessions. We also learned that from Seattle to Lawrenceville, New Jersey, folks not only knew of us but had heard we had been doing great things here for some time.
What USN has done in our context, here in the South, so unfamiliar to so many from far away, ended up being of significant interest. While I spent plenty of time wondering if we deserved the credit we seem to be getting, the experience of being in heavy conversations about things we don’t get to talk much about with other schools in Nashville was inspiring.
What USN has done in our context, here in the South, so unfamiliar to so many from far away, ended up being of significant interest. While I spent plenty of time wondering if we deserved the credit we seem to be getting, the experience of being in heavy conversations about things we don’t get to talk much about with other schools in Nashville was inspiring.
We talked and learned about continuing to build communities that really, truly felt like home to the broadest diversity of constituents. We talked about how best to respond to a fractured, partisan, troubled wider culture by equipping children to be active, prepared, hopeful young people who understand and appreciate the opportunities that have come their way in our little part of the educational landscape. We talked about what next concrete steps at each of our schools will move us where we need to go in a new generation of equity and excellence challenges.
I’m grateful for our seat at the table, grateful for our history of doing good work here and celebrating the multiplicity of stories that led each of us here, grateful for the chance to measure ourselves by a national yardstick. It’s fair to say that we have plenty to do, but it’s also fair to say there’s will and purpose in our actions. Stay tuned to hear more, specifically about Pat Romney’s visit next week to help us understand where the next big doors might open. And think of the way those volunteers put that big, beautiful array of $5/bag books together for us and for our city.
Glad to be back,
Vince
School News
List of 3 news stories.
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Beloved art teacher to receive TAIS excellence award
Read MoreMiddle and High School Art Teacher Emily Holt will be honored with the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools’ Hubert Smothers Excellence in Teaching Award on Monday, November 9 in Memphis. -
The Mississippian Era comes to life at Mound Bottom
Third graders visited Mound Bottom State Archaeological Area for an immersive history lesson and guided site tour that will set the stage for this year's studies in Tennessee history and Native American history.Read More -
Through play, Josephine Huang teaches Chinese and molds lifelong learners
Middle School and High School Chinese Teacher Josephine Huang has been involved with USN as a volunteer, a parent, and a teacher. Now in her 20th year as a faculty member, Huang's innovative lessons and belief in relationships continue to instill in students a lifelong love of learning.Read More
Athletics News
List of 3 news stories.
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Mountain Bike Team Takes on Winged Deer Trails, HS Makes Podium Appearance
Read MoreWinged Deer Park and trails in Johnson City hosted our 4th race on Sunday October 11th, and despite a bit of hurricane outwash winds and showers - and reduced team numbers due to fall break and distance from Nashville - our racers utilized all available skills and speed which helped “wing" Sophomore Claire Dehner to a 4th place podium spot, our first podium appearance and medal for the season. -
HS athletics recaps for September 11-17
Tiger golfers have officially qualified for the region tournament, and our other teams are not far behind. Volleyball sits near the top of the district, finishing up regular season play next week with Senior Night. Girls soccer continues to hold first place in the district after another 9-0 win, and our cross country runners are chasing after some school records. To round it all out, our mountain bike team traveled to Oakfield to continue to improve on their times for the season. There’s plenty more where that came from- so be sure to come out to the River Campus, Sperling Gym, or out on the road to cheer on our Tigers before their seasons end.Read More -
MS athletics recaps for September 11-17
Middle School volleyball and tennis teams are nearing the final games of their seasons, with the competition heating up while the Tigers play to determine their HVAC rankings. Cross country was finally able to race at the River Campus despite the heat, and our mountain biking team traveled to Oakfield, Tennessee, for a high-temperature race weekend.Read More
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.