Dear TEA Families,
As the final days and weeks of summer draw to a close, it can be tempting to move swiftly into scheduling, organizing and preparing for the fall. While these are worthwhile pursuits, and certainly what the TEA faculty and staff have been hard at work at this summer, I encourage you and your children to engage in as many "side quests" as you can!
The concept of the side quest has become culturally popular, and it's no wonder. In our highly scheduled lives, even vacations can exist without ever experiencing an authentic adventure. Side quests just might be how true adventure most often takes place. Unexpected growth often arrives within spontaneous opportunities that present themselves along the way. As John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
As I begin my tenure as TEA's Head of School this fall, it is a primary goal that we become more mission-aligned in all that we do. Given that Adventure is a core pillar of our school’s approach, having to plan for experiences that allow for true adventures to unfold is a paradox.
adventure(n.)
“that which happens by chance, fortune, luck," from Old French aventure.
"chance, accident, occurrence, event, happening," "(a thing) about to happen,"
"to come to, reach, arrive at." The meaning developed through "risk; danger", and "perilous undertaking" to "novel or exciting incident, remarkable occurrence in one's life" . Earlier it also meant "a wonder, a miracle; accounts of marvelous things" -Etymonline
When students are encouraged to pursue their academic curiosities, these “side quests” become intellectual adventures that stay with them. Planning for healthy risk within structures that provide thoughtful safety protocols and a sequential, rigorous curriculum is part of TEA’s pursuit and aspiration.
When a child chooses to chase a question, something measurable happens in the brain. Curiosity triggers a small surge of dopamine, and
research from UC Davis has shown that this surge primes the hippocampus to hold onto the knowledge that arrives alongside it.
Each time a student has to improvise, weigh options, or recover from a wrong turn, they are exercising the prefrontal cortex. At TEA, we build these productive detours into the school day on purpose.
Before the school year begins, I encourage you and your children to find time for a rewarding side quest of your own, be it a walk down an unfamiliar path or engaging in a new activity together. You’ll be teaching them lessons that are imprinted for life.
We’re honored and excited to be in partnership with you in your student’s next educational adventure this year!
In Service,
Jessa “Ms.J”
*Stay tuned: Detailed information on TEA's 26/27 School Year Schedule and Back to School Paperwork will be sent out this Friday, August 14.
