I want to be famous to the kids in Early Childhood

above: Pepper Travers ’20 in seventh grade, performing fearlessly for a Lower School student at a No Fear Friday open mic

Gordon’s nursery to eighth grade structure allow students multiple opportunities for leadership - in eighth grade, but also Kindergarten, fourth grade and other points along the way.
 

above: Edward Galts ’20 (center) in seventh grade, in the lead role of Peter and the Starcatcher in the Wales Theater

The school makes the most of that fact by allowing older and younger students to connect every day, in the hallways and the outdoors, and in structured activities like Lower School buddies and eighth grade classroom helpers. 
 

above: Maude Smith-Montross ’20 in seventh grade, sending the ball downcourt to her teammates on the Girls A Team

Younger students get to know a range of role models. Older students know they’re being noticed, and their authentic connections to their younger peers inspire them to be their best selves every day.
 

above: the seventh grade author of the poem below, this past September, posing in their field hockey uniform at the beginning of the season

Today, a seventh grader turned in this poem in humanities class. It was directly inspired by Naomi Shihab Nye's Famous, but it is all Gordon from beginning to end:

Famous

I am famous
to the things I crochet,
In the way that an author 
Is famous to their books.

I am famous to my cousin,
The way my aunts are famous to me.
A role model and someone to lean on,
Who you know will catch you.

Taylor Swift is famous to me, 
But so is my mom.
Like how peanut butter is famous to jelly,
But also to chocolate.

I want to be famous,
To the kids in early childhood,
I want to be the one who waves back
At their shy hand.

The one who knows their name,
Who returns Sam’s goofy grin,
Or Declan’s excited high five.

I want to be famous
As a leader.
Someone who is not only kind,
But compassionate.

I want to be remembered,
The way I remember Maude
 on sports teams,
Or Pepper singing at open mic,
Or Edward in a musical.

Famous,
For being memorable.
 

Update! Here's the author reading this poem at an event in November: