As Loomis Chaffee explores its all-school theme throughout the year — what matters — one constant will always be there: people.  

When Head of School Jody Reilly Soja stepped to the podium on Wednesday, September 9, to welcome students to a new school year, she invoked the school theme, in which the community will be “asking ourselves, talking about, and reflecting on what matters.” 

“Let me start by saying these moments of togetherness matter,” she said. “Our shared moments in celebration and collective effervescence matter. Similarly, the way we support one another through sadness and difficulties matters." 

Jody acknowledged the hole in the community as this school year starts without Sophie Field ’27, who died in June. “Along with our joy at being back together ... many of us carry with us grief and sadness that [Sophie] is not here with us,” Jody said. Director of Spiritual Life Cienna Dumaoal then led a moment of reflection. 

This summer, when Jody was talking with Sophie’s mom, Julie Field, director of counseling at Loomis Chaffee, Julie mentioned Camp Eagle Wing, “Sophie’s beloved summer camp” in Maine and said the camp had created an award in Sophie’s honor called the Sophie Firefly Award.  

“The night before my call with Mrs. Field,” Jody said, “I had serendipitously started reading a book titled World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments. Obviously, I was struck by the coincidence and couldn’t help but feel like the universe was sending a message.” There is something magical, Jody said, about those fireflies who share their “mystical luminescence” as they light up the night. 

Jody also talked about this Friday, September 11, the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., as well as the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa. She mentioned the tribute of light that annually lights up the night sky in Manhattan to mark this anniversary. Jody said there are times “we are called to be the source of light for someone else. ... Find opportunities — and there will be many — to reach out to a classmate, dormmate, teammate, castmate, friend, colleague ... to shine your brightness of care on them.” Remembering Sophie and acknowledging the 9/11 anniversary are two such moments. 

Camp Eagle Wing, on its website, notes that the Sophie Field Campership Foundation will allow others to attend and says that “her friends often reference Sophie’s light — the way she would make you feel just being with her.”   

Making someone feel that they mattered. 

Sometimes that comes from asking a question. As this year’s Student Council president, senior Aidan Dobsch, said in his remarks at the opening convocation, the older he has gotten, “the more I realize how much can begin with one question. A friendship. An idea. A change. A chance to show curiosity — one of the school's core values, by the way. A chance to admit that someone else knows something you don’t.”   

Don’t live life worrying about looking like you don’t know something, Aidan advised. “Let me let you in on a little secret. ... You don’t know something. And neither does everybody else. So ask.” 

As Aidan said, young children are always asking questions. There are no inhibitions, but somehow as we get older, asking questions becomes more difficult. But ask away, he encouraged. 

“Not because every answer will be yes,” he said. “Not because every question will be brilliant. But because I would rather be embarrassed for 30 seconds, or hear no, than look back later and have to wonder: ‘Why didn’t you ask?’” 

Student Council Vice President Anna Lim, a senior and a big fan of movies, pondered the question “what matters?” in her remarks, assigning a movie title to each year. Freshmen: Inside Out. Sophomores: The Karate Kid. Juniors: The Odyssey. For seniors there was no title. The filming has just started, she said. She told her classmates to do what they’ve been hesitating to do, do what matters to them, join that club, talk to that person, build that friendship.  

Her final advice: Freshman, find your courage. Sophomores, be patient with your growth. Juniors, don’t let the feeling of being overwhelmed hold you back; instead, use it to push forward. Seniors, write the ending to make yourself proud.  

“Because there is one thing every single one of these movies has in common. ... None of the characters figure it all out by staying comfortable,” Anna said. “They figure it out by showing up, even when they’re scared, even when they’re tired, even when they don’t know how the story ends. That’s what matters. Not having it all figured out on Day 1. Just showing up anyway.”