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Once again this year, the final Sentinel newsletter of the year contains recommendations from my 2024 media diet. I’ve curated below selections that either directly informed my work, broadened my perspective, or just made me smile. Hopefully you have an opportunity over the next few weeks to sit quietly with a book, binge a show, or birdwalk around the internet. Maybe something here can help you get you on your way.
“Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience.” said Emerson. As an educator, my hope for all is that the end of formal schooling is really the beginning of learning in our lives. Patience. How about the patience to perfecting ramen or forging a kitchen knife by hand?
If you have no attention span for long-form writing, this grilled cheese sandwich might be more your speed.
Sometimes it feels like students pass their time at Sequoia on time lapse. “Are you an 11th grader already?!?”. Here’s what two years looks like for a pinecone becoming a tree.
With all of our trees, Sequoia is, of course, a haven for birders. For those of you with your heads in the trees during visits to campus, here’s the annual list of the best bird photographers. “Swanception” is a nice companion to our fall musical.
This collection somewhat defies description but is guaranteed to amuse if you enjoy drawing logos from memory or seeing how you stack up against others when it comes to moral dilemmas. Fun with Neal Argawal.
I drive to work, I drive kids to practice, I do dishes. I listen to podcasts. Here are a few of my favorites:
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Break Stuff: The Story of Woodstock 99: i was not paying attention to any of this in 1999, but it’s fascinating in retrospect. Talkin’ ‘bout my generation…
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Tipping Point: the True Story of the Limits of Growth: Some really smart people made dire predictions about population and the planet in the 1970s. Many, many other smart people essentially shrugged. It’s a good story.
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The Big Dig: There are more than one lesson to be learned from the story of how Boston’s urban infrastructure was transformed over four decades. It’s a fascinating story full of wonderful characters.
I thought James by Percival Everett was as good as every other list maker seems to have. Of the other books I read this year, these ones stood out:
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The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff (A propulsive narrative of a chlid’s efforts to survive her escape from a colonial settlement. Groff is masterful.)
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Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris (A giant paperweight of a biography. Nichols’s imprint of all over 20th Century American culture…and there’s a LOT of failures.)
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Hip Hop is History by Questlove (The author is now high on my list of celebrities I’d want to have dinner with. Part dialectical, part memoir, part analysis. Very fun.)
Be sure to visit this link to support the SHSEF’s Annual Campaign before the end of the year. Sequoia would not be Sequoia without the generosity of our community and the commitment of our Foundation to equity in access and outcomes for every student is vital. We are so grateful to all of you who make this mission possible by stepping up each year.
Hope everyone’s break is safe and relaxing. Happy New Year to all our families – see you in 2025!
Best,
Sean
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