Wisdom, Philosophy and Greatness

Eastwood principal Nancy Strobel signs off her e-mails with a quote beneath her signature line: "Keep me away from wisdom which does not cry, philosophy which does not laugh, and greatness which does not bow before children."  You have to like – and trust – an educator who reminds herself and others many times each day that sorrow, joy and humility have a central place in education and in the formation of young adults.

 

It has been more than 30 years since Susan and I graduated from Eastwood.  Back then, it was one of the newer high schools in Waterloo County built in 1956 to accommodate the baby boom and its echo in the east end of the city.  It was in an area that was populated by mostly two-parent middle class families and single family dwellings with a few lower middle class neighbourhoods made up of low-rise apartment buildings and townhouses.  Most of us were from Anglo-Saxon backgrounds.  A few were first generation Canadians whose parents had immigrated from Europe or the United Kingdom a decade or more earlier.

Susan and I were not your typical Eastwood students.  Back  in the 70s, we lived with our mother Betty Thompson and younger sister Judith in one of the few high-rise apartment buildings near a popular shopping mall on the edge of the school's encatchment area.  Our parents were divorced.  Mom was the host of a well-known children's television program and had her hands full with family, professional and community obligations.  Dad was unable to provide support of any kind.  Mom stretched one modest income to provide the basics plus camps, vacations and extra lessons.  Still, her celebrity masked the fact that the four of us lived with a high degree of insecurity and stress.

We owe our resilience in large measure to Mom's exceptional example but also to the daily routine, friendships, informal mentoring, and opportunities for personal achievement found at Eastwood. In the wings, there were other significant adults: grandparents, parents of friends, teachers, and a special camp counsellor or two.  The result was that we made it through to adulthood with only a few scars to show for our challenges and with a strong sense of our place in the world with its rights and responsibilities.

Today, Eastwood's student population and neighbourhood have changed dramatically.  It is now an arts magnet school.  Talented artists, dancers, musicians and actors from all over the region audition for the chance to study there.  It is also an English as a Second Language magnet school.  Of the 1,300 students, 30% were born in countries other than Canada.  Many have come to Kitchener from refugee camps or particularly difficult circumstances.  More than 50 countries and as many languages make up the school's ethnic diversity.  With this diversity has also come greater variance in household income.  Eastwood is now known thoroughout the Waterloo Regional District School Board as the school with one of the largest 'at risk' populations given the number of students who are growing up in families with incomes below the poverty line.

It is not surprising, therefore, that the staff and student leaders at Eastwood are preoccupied these days with access to nutritious food: who has it, who doesn't and what can be done to close the gap.  But it is surprising that something as basic as food is an issue in a region that continues to produce many of the country's weathiest and most innovative citizens.  Drive west across town from Eastwood and you'll see the signs of their prosperity everywhere in new building construction, high-end shopping areas, and improved public spaces.

Nancy and her staff are wise enough to feel concerned about this complex reality but philosophical enough to respond with creativity and optimism.  They take their lead from the students themselves who are already showing how resilient they are and how great they can become with a little support from their community through initiatives like Susan's Change Purse.

For the Love of Breakfast

Susan loved breakfast.  A bowl of bran flakes with a miniature box of raisins and low fat milk, followed by a small glass of orange juice and a piece of whole wheat toast with a little protein – cheese or peanut butter.  Maybe an egg.  Nothing or no one could get in the way of her morning meal.

Susan also loved learning.  The classroom was the place where she felt most at home.  The first 25 years of her life were particularly happy – when her work was learning.  In her struggle with anxiety and depression at midlife, she found hope for the future in opportunities to continue her education.

Back in the 70s when Susan was in high school, the connection between food and learning was not well understood or documented.  Today, we know that a hungry student is more likely to perform poorly and to be angry, listless and disengaged.  We also know that Eastwood Collegiate Institute, the high school where Susan spent five formative years, has become a place where a very high percentage of students start their day without breakfast.  The concentration of poverty in the neighbourhoods around the school is one of the greatest in Waterloo Region.

After Susan died suddenly a few months ago at 50, we decided to create Susan's Change Purse – a new fund to help the Eastwood community start a conversation and take action on food-related issues.  Currently, the need for the school's meal voucher program is greater than the resources available.  We want to help meet the need and start shrinking it over time.  We're calling this work The Eastwood Food Project.

Susan was all for taking small steps toward big dreams, and she was as careful with money as she was generous.  So, we hope to raise small amounts of money from a large number of people -- in the $5 - $20 range.  This money will be used to seed student-led activities within the school and neighbourhood tied to food access and security as well as understanding the connection between food, the local economy and the environment.

Forming young leaders.  Benefiting from the diversity of the Eastwood community.  Deepening every student’s sense of belonging through these activities.  We'll also keep these three priorities in mind as we do this work together.

In the months ahead, we'll be posting updates and providing links to helpful information.  Maybe you'll be inspired to get involved.  For the love of Susan whose future was stolen by a terrible illness.  For the love of young people whose futures depend on a good education.  And for the love of the planet upon which all our futures depend.