Seen Read Heard: May 2026

This month, I am highlighting Flight: Within Reach (our 2026 yearbook), How Books Can Save Democracy by Michael Fischer, and the unpublished emails between a retired FWCD teacher and her former student.

The 2026 Flight: Within Reach
I am recommending our 2026 yearbook as not only an amazing visual romp through memories of the year we just finished, but also as a great read. As the adult sponsor, Lisa Wallace has guided, corralled, inspired and celebrated yearbook editors and staffers for years. Most of us see the amazing photographs and layouts the Flight staff generate each year. We marvel at the overall visual masterpiece that our yearbook team creates year after year.

In addition to all of those visual creations, I would tell you not to miss out on the great written work our students do. This year’s Flight, Within Reach, has some wonderful writing. Take, for example, the introduction that the editors, Eloise Wallace ’26 and Lydia Gaydosik ’26, made of the theme. Below is a much excerpted (note the liberal use of ellipses) version of that introduction:

“At Fort Worth Country Day, success has never been about waiting for the opportunity; instead, it’s about reaching for it. Every goal, every milestone, and every moment of growth begins with the belief that all students’ goals are already within reach. In lower school, “within reach” means learning feels achievable .… In middle school, “within reach” takes on new meaning. Academic expectations increase, responsibilities expand, and students begin setting personal goals .… In upper school, “within reach” is defined by preparation and ownership ….  At Fort Worth Country Day, the next goal is never out of sight and is always within reach.” (4)

The writing in Flight: Within Reach is so clear and powerful. Undoubtedly, our yearbook editors are gifted, and, just as obviously, they are the product of wonderful teaching throughout their FWCD years. 

How Books Can Save Democracy by Michael Fischer 
I am a glutton for summer gatherings of Heads of School. I learn a tremendous amount in the sharing of stories from other independent schools across the region and the country. One such gathering of about 70 of us from the Southwest this June has a pre-read of the small book/ essay: How Books Can Save Democracy. The Trinity University (San Antonio) Professor and author is slated to be one of our presenters.  

Though not profound, the booklet is good food for thought about the value of reading fiction as a way to study human nature, and of the value of studying human nature in developing good citizens. I see English Departments like ours at FWCD doing absolutely essential work, reading, discussing and writing about good, provocative (age-appropriate) fiction. The best books make us wonder about the right and the wrong thing to do in trying circumstances; they challenge our thinking and help us place ourselves on a moral spectrum.

Writ large, the message of Fischer’s essay is, “Don’t forget the humanities.” STEM subjects are incredibly important, and schools like Fort Worth Country Day need to continue exposing students to a variety of fields.

“[W]hat sustains vibrant democracies … is not eliminating disagreement but making it more constructive ….” (8)

Quoting novelist Rachel Kadish, Fischer tells a story about an assignment Kadish gives her undergraduates to incorporate a quote the student finds abhorrent into a fictitious character’s dialogue. Kadish speaks of the empathy that emerges, and she likens it to the impact of good literature: “[G]ood fiction pulls off a magic trick of absurd power: it makes us care.” (62)

Unpublished Emails from a Retired FWCD Teacher and Her Former Student
Andréanne Annis retired from FWCD in 2024 after 22 years of making a difference in the lives of her French students, among others. Vail Dickey ‘24 graduated from FWCD after spending all 13 of his pre-college years here. He had Madame Annis for French throughout his Upper School years. 

Madame Annis was thrilled to share with me in April:

Bonjour!
I just shared a wonderful moment with Vail. I am currently guiding a group of American high schoolers in Paris. Having shared my availabilities with Vail, he joined us as we queued into le musée d’Orsay. The group enjoyed visiting with him as we waited. We then visited that amazing old train station, admired 19th century works of art and shared a delicious lunch. What a treat!!

My heart is full!
Go Falcons!
Madame Annis

To which I responded in an email to both Madame Annis and Vail, how absolutely inspiring their encounter in Paris was, the pinnacle of a teacher-student experience. And Vail responded:

Thank you! I am really grateful for this opportunity. I am truly having such a great time. I owe it all to my parents, Mme Annis, and Fort Worth Country Day for allowing me to realize this dream of mine. It was so fun meeting and catching up with Mme Annis in the most stunning of places. Really, it has been a long-awaited moment being able to converse in French to show her how far I have come. 
Thank you for your words of encouragement!
From,
Vail Dickey

And, even in retirement, Madame Annis has continued teaching our highest-level French students remotely, including Vail’s brother, Blake Dickey ’26. We shared this celebration in April and another in May.