I appreciated the flexibility through the end of the week’s volcano eruption and shift in program at our School. We continue to get updates from authorities and if we are asked to shift we will do so, however our prevailing decision-making will be about what is safe for us. Turrialba and its ash continue to be a part of the atmosphere and we will be monitoring through the remainder of the year.
As I think about Turrialba this past week and how its eruption marks a moment in Costa Rican history, I can’t help but parallel it to our own marker in the School’s history this year and how entropy plays a role.
As a quick upload, entropy is the amount of disorder in any system, and the second law of thermodynamics states that overall, entropy always increases. This is why natural processes tend to go irreversibly in one direction. So for example, an object that is hot will cool down, but an object at equilibrium with its surroundings will never spontaneously gather up heat from its surroundings and become hotter (i.e. heat only ever flows in one direction: from hot to cold). Or, in other words, put a hot plate of gallo pinto and a cold limonada in a box that admits zero warmth in or out, and the two food items plus the air in the box will all settle into the same temperature.
I wonder about that concept with our current transitions. In a sense, it can certainly feel like the school is bubbling over with change and the intensity and complexity seems to be increasing. However, the entropy in our current school will lead to certain equilibrium. The reaction to such change has caused some lava flow and, inevitably, as that lave cools, it will reshape the landscape. For example, as we shift fifth grade to Middle School or make decisions on transportation, the reactions to the changes are disruptive, good or bad, and will change the community. Our reactions, just like the changes themselves, can have long-term affects on how we move forward. How we react can possibly correlates to how long we need to achieve equilibrium.
As we enter the final four weeks of the school year, our School is mindful of how much lava or ash that can from the eruptions and how it can cause damage. Our assumptions and words can flow without warning and thought towards what lies downhill; they burn and can cause an inhospitable environment. However, while heat and ash can be hard to bear, both of these elements are essential for life and growth to occur. Being constructively critical during this time can bear long-term fertile ground for a better school community.
What is the balance? That is the question I hope we continually seek while enjoying our time with students and each other these weeks ahead.
Building Cairns 