Nelson Mandala describes his childhood in his autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom. His feelings of being a young boy growing up in a South African village seemed familiar, lyrical and universal.

Parents who send their children to Sandy Spring Friends School choose to do so. It is not the default choice (that would be public school) and, in fact, requires effort and (as we well know) money. Different parents look for different things from the school, or at least have different priorities. This is natural and, I suppose, has something to do with what each of us remembers about our own experience in primary and secondary school.

The following is adapted from the talk that Tom Gibian gave during the SSFS all-school holiday assembly on December 13.

There is an expression that I like. Many of us know it from Martin Luther King.

“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”

Well, how long is the arc? How long is history? How important is history?

To me, the moral arc represents generations of people, some of whom we know. Our parents and our grandparents. Your Mom, your grandma. Her mom and her grandma.

My daughter was born in 1990. I was born in 1953. My mom was born in 1917. Women didn’t vote, and the President rode a horse for inauguration. Her father was born in 1882, and her grandfather was born in the 1840s - before the Civil War. My great-grandfather, unsmiling and sitting with his 12 children in front of an unpainted house without electricity or a bathroom is captured in time by a photograph. That’s five generations ago, taking you back to President Polk. Five more generations takes you back to people who might have known George Fox. The first Quakers who were challenging convention, wearing shaggy, shaggy locks, and off on journeys to seek the Light were maybe 10 generations ago. The moral arc of the universe proceeds. The way opens.

Let’s look a little further. Many of us are celebrating Christmas. From my daughter to the first Christmas was over 2000 years ago - about 100 generations.

The number of generations from my daughter to the original folks, Adam and Eve, who came out of Africa - probably the Rift Valley - say, 100,000 years ago: That’s 5000 generations. It is interesting to think that 98% of human life on the earth occurred before Christianity.

So the moral arc is long; we’ve been trying to figure things out for 5000 sets of parents. But the arc bends toward justice because some people put themselves on the tip of the arc. They shape the trajectory for the world, often by introducing simple, radical ideas: Love thy neighbor; walk cheerfully over the world answering that of God in everyone.

So everyone, all Springers: find the sharp edge of the moral arc. Be leaders, be true yourselves, Let your Lives Speak.

Merry Christmas.

The following is adapted from Tom Gibian's words to the community during the re-dedication of Scott House on Nov. 15, 2011.

“I think SSFS can become a North Star for the educational system in the DC metropolitan area, and for America at large.”

Recently I attended a meeting with a group of Sandy Spring Friends School parents where one mom told me that she and her husband, on several occasions, have found themselves weeping from the joy they experience as a result of their daughter’s happiness at being a student at Sandy Spring. I knew exactly what they meant, and it’s a beautiful feeling. Having worked on Wall Street, I know people care deeply about their money. As Head of School here at SSFS, I know people care far more deeply about their children.

At Friends Day this year, our Parents Association hosted families, friends and members of the community for a day of fun, music and games. The weather cooperated and our beautiful campus has never looked better. Ken Smith, our former Head of School, was there; we were able to show off our new climbing wall; the pond sparkled, and the Upper School band rocked. There was lots to grin about.

Today [September 21] is International Peace Day. It is a day of celebration among Friends. But you don’t make peace with friends; you make peace with difficult people, with strange people, with people who you often don’t find yourself agreeing with. You make peace with your enemies.