25 July 2025

Wilderness — Kaitlin Curtice

Where does a wilderness begin, 
and where does it end?
It is a lot like you and me—
the lines at the edges of us blur,
and we accept that though we are different, 
we are terribly alike,
though we are separate, 
we belong to one another’s stories. 
So it is with the wilderness— 
a vastness that cannot be understood or denied—
the wilderness,
expanding no matter how much we try to constrict it,
enveloping all things no matter how terrified we are of what we do not know and cannot contain. 
May we become like the wilderness. 
May our way home show us to the furthest borders of ourselves and once there, far beyond,
to the unknown in one another.

I came across this poem recently. It immediately encouraged me to reflect on us. A school community. I felt there was a lot of opportunity in this to consider the interconnectedness between us as people and also our emphasis on the natural world because of where we are situated. So I guess wilderness being both literal and metaphorical.

Focusing on our common humanity even though we are different is a constant theme in our work with children around positive relationships. The connection and belonging echoed in this poem can never be underestimated. I am constantly reminded of this with the huge amount of alumni (children and parents and grandparents and dogs and and and) coming back and back and back… well after they have left. There is still that desire to be connected to community and place. Once children head off to Intermediate the connection widens and there are many good things about that. However, as many of you know, it’s the bonds you make with the parents in these years that are usually the ones that outlast many others.

“Though we are separate, we belong to one another’s stories.”

There also seems to be a message about not having to have everything as known and there is plenty of potential to be curious, courageous and open, push edges and stretch out of our comfort zones.

Wilderness is also a way of being. Learning doesn’t happen step by step in tidy clean lines. Nor does the development of understanding feelings or emotions. And yes—we, the parents and teachers—often may not know what to say or do next when supporting children! Maybe there isn’t a right?

So a bit of a whimsical newsletter piece from me this week folks.

“May we become like the wilderness.”

“May our way home show us to the furthest borders of ourselves…”