Bringing out the best in us

Dearest Gordon Family,

If you haven’t already, at some point you will hear me say that I think everything we need to know in life can be learned on a farm.

I came to that conclusion in the summer of 2015 after chaperoning an alternative break trip for rising seventh and eighth graders at Heifer Farm in Rutland, MA. During the trip, I saw students engage joyously in experiential learning and service activities, cook their own meals, take care of each other, participate happily in imaginative play, and actually talk to each other because they had no screens.

I also saw the loving response they had to the animals on the farm, which included goats, sheep, cows, pigs, llamas, horses, chickens, cats, and dogs. Something special happened when all of the living things were together. There was the shy student holding and feeding the baby goat. There was the student who struggled with focus gathering freshly laid eggs. There were the students who insisted they could not live without their phones gazing quietly at cows grazing in the pasture. Something special was happening.

Gordon is not a farm school, but we do have twelve acres of remarkable outdoor learning spaces. We have a thriving community garden. We have a pond. A stream. Birds, butterflies, frogs, squirrels, rabbits, deer. Sometimes there are even fish in the pond. And of course, we have Denver.

Denver is my first canine colleague, and after three short months of seeing him in action, I am convinced that every school should have a dog.

Gordon students of all ages light up when they see Denver. If you ever had the good fortune to accompany him on one of his walkabouts, you would hear the delightful chorus of “Hi, Denver!” and see him receive countless loving pats on the head. In his wake, he leaves genuine smiles and lighter, happier people. When someone is having a hard day, whether child or adult, a visit from Denver can turn things around. And he even does groups: he will settle himself gently on the floor with an entire Nursery class and let every child pet him at once.

Denver has become a steady companion on my own walks around campus. In full disclosure, his visits to my office may or may not have something to do with the treats I have tucked away for him. But regardless of his motivation, walking alongside him allows me to witness the impact of his presence in real time:

• When he helps students regulate their emotions
   
• When he strengthens people’s sense of belonging and connection with warmth and care
   
• When he responds to early language learners who communicate in a variety of ways
   
• When he reinforces daily acts of kindness, gentleness, and responsibility
   
• When he offers comfort during grief, transitions, or moments of dysregulation
   
• When he helps everyone to feel grounded, safe, and seen

Much like my memories of those days on the farm, time with Denver reminds me that education goes far beyond what happens in classrooms. It’s also about the relationships, environments, and living things that shape us.

We are so lucky that Denver brings out the best in us simply by being himself. And perhaps that is the quiet lesson at the heart of it all: sometimes the most meaningful growth happens when we slow down, connect, and allow ourselves to be changed by the gentle presence of another living being.