By Ted Graf, Head of School

The following column was written prior to the start of the Israel-Hamas War. Please see Ted’s note to the community titled Being Peacemakers: Reflecting on the Israel-Hamas War and we hope you read his column below, too.

As soon as we get past Labor Day, people tend to ask me, “How’s the school year going?” When I reflect on the challenges of the past three years, I respond with confidence that the new school year feels great; it’s lighter, more buoyant, and more like school used to feel. And then I often say, “But remember, it’s still school.” By that I mean it remains a beautifully humbling and amazingly uplifting enterprise–being with children every day and helping them and their families grow, learn, and stretch is not simple or easy work. So, it’s still school–some days are remarkably inspiring and some days are puzzling or, even, unsettling. Most days have some of both. As we lean on the routines, traditions, and schedules of the school year, we must still look ahead and tell stories about what the school could be. 

While everyone in the school sets goals for the year, I have the good fortune of setting goals with lots of input from parents, faculty, and, even, students from the prior year, AND I have the collaboration, input, and support from the Board of Trustees. The major work of this year can be organized into three areas, and each is intended to help the school look forward:

1. Focusing on Programs and the Students’ Experience – With the Academic Team Leaders, we have reorganized ourselves and we are spending more time, focus, and energy on supporting the guides through more regular classroom visits, deeper attention to curricula, and what we hope is more inspiring and pragmatic professional development. All of this is in service of amplifying a sense of wonder and curiosity and a sense of self and self-efficacy for the students. 

1. Reviving Community – A key element of Headwaters’ success since its inception has been our sense of community, and one of my goals this year is to work with Susie, Tim, Terra, and Avé (the Academic Team Leaders) to stimulate and revive community within each campus and program, and, whenever possible, across the campuses. When we plan events, we are designing with an eye toward connection, authenticity, and joy.

1. Connecting with Parents to Write the School’s Future – In preparation for this school year and in my end of year reflection and evaluation with the board, it was clear that I did not tell the story about the school’s possible futures with the energy and excitement they deserve. So, my overarching goal for this school year is to lead us in embracing all of our strategic priorities, and, principally, our aspirations and vision for facilities.

Focusing, reviving, and connecting is emerging as a mantra for me this year. In the spirit of that mantra, I am going to use my TedTalk column to tell stories about the school’s future throughout this academic year. My friend (and friend of the school) Greg Bamford of Leadership+Design reminds us, 

“Stories help us make the future more imaginable, more tactile, and more navigable. Who among us hasn’t had an emotional reaction to a plot twist in a movie or the satisfying resolution of a novel? Stories give us an emotional connection to situations we haven’t yet experienced.”

I hope you’ll join me on the sidewalks, at parent coffees, at parent ed, at the Fall Fling, at concerts and sing-alongs, at curriculum nights, at the myriad of community events to share with me stories and hopes about how the school can continue to grow and develop and serve kids from all over Austin. 

Where I'm From

To start the school year, Upper Elementary Phoenix Guides Guadalupe Cepeda and Lalo Martinez asked their 4th and 5th graders to answer a simple prompt: “Where I’m From.” What came next was a beautiful, engaging lesson on how we all have different backgrounds, stories, families, and more––and a celebration of these differences and similarities. Students started with a written response to the prompt that has been hung up outside their classroom door. The class also hosted student presentations to learn more about each other. What a wonderful way to start the school year!

Headwaters MUN at AUSMUN

By Jenna Evans ‘25

On Saturday, September 23, Headwaters Model United Nations Club attended its first conference of the year at Austin High School. Students from schools all across Texas came to engage in discourse and problem-solving surrounding contemporary and historical global issues. Headwaters delegates made their presence known and engaged in fierce debate. Topics included The Berlin Conference, The Ethical Repatriation of Artifacts, and Animal Testing. Congratulations to new delegates Anjali Natarajan ‘27, Nathaniel Rostvold ‘27, Blaise Barry ‘26, Delia Greer ’26, August Floyd ‘27, and George VanWart ‘27 on attending their first Model UN conference!

We'd like to commend these delegates for earning the following awards: Uszee McKoy '25 (Best Delegate Award), Eli Floyd '24 (Best Public Speaker Award), and Jenna Evans '25 (Most Diplomatic Award). 

We'd also like to thank Lei Alor, our new Model UN sponsor. Attending this conference would not have been possible without him, and we look forward to many more!

Headwaters IB Photography II at Precision Camera

By Ali McMillin 

From a chance conversation about film photography with Noah Fournier, the photo lab manager, IB photography students were invited to develop their own film in the lab at Precision Camera. His generosity towards students interested in photography and spirit of experimentation extended to connecting us to their in-store studio and Headwaters' parent Brendan Maloney, who then organized a workshop led by professional sports photographer Robert Backman. It was amazing! Students had a lovely time, understood more about the process, and appreciated using pro equipment. And, it was all time given freely in support of our students' learning. See more photos from this experience here!

The Founding Day Fling is coming up on Saturday, November 4, 2023! The Fling is Headwaters School’s annual fundraising gala, celebrating the founding of our school. Funds raised support teacher professional development and student financial aid. Last year’s Fling raised over $50,000 and we hope to top that in 2023!

This year we will be partying it up at Thinkery, with food from La Pera Catering, an open bar throughout the evening, and world music from DJ (and Springs Parent) Erika Payan Zanetti! We’ll have a Make-Your-Own Sunglasses station, an Armadillo Launch, and access to the Thinkery exhibits. We will be offering over 50 of the ever-popular Mystery Prizes, a silent auction, and a dice game where you could win a FREE 2024-2025 enrollment fee!

Donor List for the 2022-2023 School Year

We are preparing our 2022-2023 Annual Report which will contain a list of donors from last fiscal year.  

Please review this document for your name's spelling and accuracy. Also, please let us know if you would like to be removed or if you did not find your name on the list and expected to. Please send all changes or requests to development@headwaters.org.

Check out this section for a featured term that we use at Headwaters and its definition.

Conferences noun

/ˈkɑːn.fɚ.əns/

Definition:

• Student-Led Conferences (River Campus): In order to help students develop awareness of and reflect upon their unique educational process, we have them direct their own conferences each semester. Students share their biggest successes and challenges with their parents and faculty advisor. Students are expected to present specific examples of those successes and challenges, as well as an update on their goals and personal mission statements. Preparing for and executing this conference allows each student to take time to analyze his/her work habits and strategize for the remainder of the semester.
• Parent/Teacher Conferences (Springs/Creek): During conference days in the fall and the spring, guides set up times for parents to come in and check their child’s progress.

Learn more Headwaters terms in our A-Z Glossary at this link.

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