#DarWorldAroundTheWorld: Welcome to International Week!

The Covid-19 pandemic, more than any other disrupting event in modern history, has caused us all to reconsider and perhaps modify our idea of what it means to be in a community. Usually, when I think about the Darlington community, the first thing I picture is our beautiful campus filled with our current students and teachers.  Next, my mind would extend beyond the campus gates to think of current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, and former faculty.  Over a matter of weeks, Covid-19 has turned my definition of a community, if not on its head, at least on its side.  Suddenly that first picture that normally comes to my mind isn’t our reality.  Instead, almost the entire Darlington community is outside the gates, and, in many cases, hundreds and even thousands of miles away from the lakeside.  

Each year, we invite our international students to share their culture with us through events such as the International Fair.  This year, the changes to our definition of community also present an opportunity to celebrate our international community in a new way.  We currently have students on five continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America) living at home and creating a new sense of what it means to be a school community, learning together across different time zones and in a variety of different learning environments.  Truly, we are experiencing what DarWorld means in a whole new way.  

In order to still give our international students the chance to share their cultures with us and also give us all a chance to witness #DarWorldAroundtheWorld in action, I asked international students and families to send me photos from home to share in galleries throughout the week of April 27.  Each day this week, you’ll see a new gallery of photos that represents a different slice of a day in the life of DarWorld; for the first time ever, DarWorld really is ALL around the world! Categories include home, food, pets, work/study spaces, and family. 

Thank you to all the students and parents who have shared your beautiful photos with me.  I can’t wait for everyone else to see them!

Note: I will tag the student who shared the photo with me in each photo so viewers of the galleries will be able to figure out what country the photos are from. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at tinman@darlingtonschool.org,  and I will be happy to help! Also, it’s not too late to send photos! If you have some to share, send them to me and I will add yours to the mix!