Join us on April 26 for our annual rite of spring, Wonders Never Cease. This promises to be a high-spirited and joyful occasion that will leave you wide-eyed with—dare we say it—wonder at our children's incredible accomplishments and growth.

Recently, we’ve taken time to marvel at a world filled with astonishing feats. From self-driving cars to artificial intelligence, from mapping the human genome to the Webb Space Telescope exploring the universe, from the incredible power of smartphones to the global connectivity offered by the Internet—it’s clear that wonders never cease. We’re surrounded by advances that seem to stretch the limits of possibility.

But where does it all begin? By “it,” we mean the drive to imagine the impossible and make it a reality. The answer is simple, yet profound: the roots of creativity and invention lie in the boundless wonder of a child. Layer upon layer of amazement settles in young minds as they experience the world for the first time. This wonder is expressed in the cries of “What’s that?” and “Why?” as curiosity—the handmaiden of wonder—takes center stage, urging children to make sense of the world around them.

We’ve been fortunate over the years to witness the vibrant expressions of wonder in our students, which is why this year’s Spring Event will be themed Wonders Never Cease. Few words capture the essence of childhood as well as wonder, and we think it’s fitting to celebrate another year at The Children’s School by highlighting its importance to learning, creativity, and problem-solving.

Since wonder is the child’s natural habitat, our teachers ensure students are given abundant opportunities—both inside and outside the classroom—to experience its thrill. Our classrooms extend into the outdoors, where children explore the natural world, engaging their senses and enjoying unstructured play and hands-on learning. New sights and sounds, textures, and scents inevitably lead to exclamations of awe and a cascade of questions, from the weather to the water cycle, the growth of plants and trees to the mysteries of soil and rocks, the changing seasons to the shifting clouds. Teachers model wonder too, asking questions aloud and joining children in seeking answers to the mysteries of energy, motion, change, and more.

“I wonder” invites teachers to encourage children to observe, think deeply, and explore further. For example, students ask questions like “Why is the sky blue?” “What makes fog?” “Where does the moon go during the day?” Using a critical thinking and problem-solving method known as the Harvard Framework—developed at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education—our teachers guide students to observe closely, interpret what they see based on evidence, and push the boundaries of their thinking by probing unanswered questions. 

We prize wonder deeply at our school, so much so that children practice it every day. And why wouldn’t we? From scientific and technological breakthroughs to the creativity expressed through books and the performing arts, it’s clear that all original, imaginative endeavors are rooted in the wonder children bring to the world.

So, we will come together to celebrate childhood’s wonder and the wonders it inspires. In a world where innovation and discovery never cease, children’s curiosity keeps the future bright, boundless, and full of possibilities.

Maureen