Message from Head of School Lisa Lalama 

No Left Turns

Last week, I read an article in the Harvard Business Review about left turns. What I learned was fascinating. Traffic engineers have discovered that more than 10 times as many accidents are a result of crossing traffic, or making left turns. There is also evidence from UPS that virtually eliminating left turns saves millions of dollars in fuel, decreases their carbon emissions by millions of metric tons (equivalent to keeping more than 5,000 cars off of the road), and actually saves time for their drivers.

When I read things like this my mind starts spinning. I begin to wonder about the validity of this claim. Although they have provided evidence, I need to think about the logic of this evidence and why it does or doesn't make sense. I also think about how I can introduce this type of thinking to others, whether it is WMS students or others in my life. I conducted my own simple survey. I shared the results of the UPS information and asked others what they thought. One of the interesting findings of my non-scientific survey is that three young adults told me they never made left turns when they began driving because they were afraid. They went out of their way to make only right turns. Interestingly, an elderly friend now does the same thing.

Though this anecdotal information is interesting and supports what traffic engineers know to be true, that left turns are unsafe, I am more intrigued by "who thought of this." Many of us go through our days without questioning the way things are done. We make right and left turns to get to our destinations in what we have been taught is the most direct, time-saving and efficient of ways. We are taught to do things a certain way, whether it's driving, reading, writing, math, cooking or even playing. We know the rules. We generally follow them. However, if UPS mindlessly followed the quickest, most direct route, would they have saved time, money and a bit of our ozone layer?

At WMS, children are encouraged to ask questions, to wonder, to share the way they approach a problem - even if it is different from a way they were taught. It is through this sense of wonder and encouragement to share our thinking that we all learn and grow. Each day I learn something new, and on a good day I learn many of them from your children. Today, just for a minute, open your mind and think as your children are encouraged to think. Ask questions. Share your way of solving a problem even if it isn't the expected way. And the next time you make a left turn, think about it in a new way and wonder what else is possible. 

Medication Disposal Event  

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is spearheading a nationwide drug take-back event this Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Called the "National Take-Back Day," this event provides an opportunity for the public to dispose of unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications in a safe and environmentally friendly way. The closest collection site to WMS is Shipley Manor on Shipley Road, or you can drop off medications to Nurse Paige, as she will be making a trip to the collection site.  

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