August 1, 2017
I hope you've had a wonderful summer so far. It's been a summer of learning to be comfortable in uncomfortable situations for me as I explored what it means to be a global citizen. As some of you know, I had the opportunity to travel to Belgium and study the European Union. While there I met with a lot of diplomats, including the man who is representing the EU in the Brexit negotiations. He met with us at 9am and then started the Brexit negotiations at 10am. I also got to go to NATO's Headquarters (they'd only allow us in the "old" building") and met with Colonel Russell Driggers, Senior Military Advisor to US NATO, US Air Force. He was really excited about our program and gave me the message to tell all of you to learn to become critical thinkers and to learn how to keep competing ideas in your heads. I happily told him, that's what we do. :) I also got to travel to Israel to do some work with the Holocaust museum, Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. I spent 10 days immersed in the study of the origins, actions and effects of the Holocaust. In addition, I got to talk to journalists and people in Jerusalem to get a much better understanding of the faiths represented there and the tension that erupts. I also got to float in the Dead Sea (It's really hard to NOT float) and visit Christian sites in Northern Israel. I found myself in the role of student a lot, and I am grateful for that opportunity to have learned and to bring it back to you all. Please feel free to ask any questions about my trips; I'd love to talk with you about them. Thank you to those of you who have reached out to me to let me know your thoughts on Salt to the Sea. I even had some of you contact me while I was in Israel, and it made my trip! I was able to tell the colleagues I met with how great it is and now they too are reading it and talking to their students about it. We're starting a movement! There's a lot of stuff coming up in the next few weeks before the beginning of school--lots of opportunities for service hours. There are also the days I've set aside if you need help with the summer reading. Those are optional, but I'd love to see your faces and hear about your summers and the adventures you've been able to have. This week I'm in a lot of professional development but should be back in my office next week. Please always reach out by email if you have any questions. Looking forward to seeing you soon! Cheers, Ms. W.
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AuthorMs. Willett is the current Director of AIS. She is originally from Dearborn, Michigan and has lived in Charlotte for the past 13 years. Archives
July 2017
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