When an Alpaca Shows Up at School

On a Friday in September, I walked out the door next to my office and looked into the face of an alpaca.

After 30 years, some elements of school have become fairly routine: happy faces and new shoes on the first day of school, introducing the concept of ser vs. estar in Spanish class, helping students find their seats for the first school meeting, and even managing the near-chaos of drop-off and pick-up on the first day of school (hint: come early).

But I had never seen an alpaca make a lunchtime visit.

I sat on the campus green with my hand sanitizer as students left the building on the way to the cafeteria. It was the Friday of Homecoming, and they were in good moods, but when they saw the petting zoo set up, their faces changed from smiles to wonder.

Some ran over immediately and started petting the animals. Others were more cautious, encouraging their friends to reach out first. Some went straight to the box of food and began feeding them. And others watched from a distance, admiring the boldness of their animal-loving friends.

The idea for a petting zoo originated from our student government leaders. The intent was to promote the Homecoming dance theme, “Southern Nights,” by bringing a country-western theme to campus. There were lots of interesting ideas, including a mechanical bull, but inspiration struck when they discovered the mobile petting zoo.

I didn’t know such organizations existed, but they did all of the legwork and arranged for the animals to join us for lunch and community time. It was certainly a hit.

At the Upper School, we frequently come back to the three themes of “Bee Present:” dare to try, better together, and fail forward. During the four years of high school, parents and teachers together get to observe a marvelous transformation from nervous ninth graders into confident, independent adults. The petting zoo is a great example of how this might look on a micro level.

Students worked together to brainstorm an idea for community engagement; they found lots of things that wouldn’t work, and yet they persisted in daring to try until they found the perfect complement to the day. These students didn’t fall into the trap of “we’ve never done that before,” or “I don’t know how that might work.” They took a risk, did the research, tried something new, and succeeded in making the world a bit more joyful, even for an afternoon. They succeeded in trying something that hadn’t been done before.

Change is hard, yet most of the best things that happen to any of us happen during the times in which we take risks, make changes, or experience transitions. School and college choices, meeting new friends and partners, moving to a new city, starting a new job, watching a child take their first steps, excelling at a difficult class, trying out for a team or show, creating something new — these are the moments which inspire the stories we tell for the rest of our lives.

As parents and teachers, it’s our privilege to watch these moments, sometimes from the bleachers and sometimes next to them on the field, as our children and students transform into their best, independent selves.

I probably wouldn’t have thought of the petting zoo, but as I fed some grain to my new alpaca friend that Friday, I thought about how grateful I was to work in a place where even near-outlandish ideas can turn into leadership opportunities and joy.

This has been a fantastic year so far. I can’t wait to see what shows up outside my office next month.