Susanna Waters, Head of School Welcome | Fay School, Southborough, MA

September 14-16, 2026: Bermuda

I landed in Bermuda for a few packed days of community connections! It was so great to criss-cross the island visiting Fay families and the kind folks they introduced us to during our stay. I didn’t see any other moose, but did spy some animals I’d never seen before: petrels and skinks!

First stop was Bermuda Squash, where I got a tour of the courts and a feel for how seriously the sport is taken on this island. From there it was on to Somersfield Academy, where I got to see another school's community in action — always a treat for a moose who spends most of his life at Fay, comparing notes on what makes a school feel like home!

The St. David's Youth Football Program was another highlight. I enjoyed watching the next generation of Bermudian footballers train with real focus and their joy reminded me a little of recess back home, just with different scenery. I may have practiced my own kick afterward, with mixed results.

Every stop came with familiar Fay faces — families who've made this island feel like an extension of campus in its own right. I left Bermuda a little sunburnt, thoroughly fed, and grateful, as always, for how far a small moose can travel on goodwill and an open invitation.

August 3-13, 2026: Korea and China

It's good to be back — Korea and China again, this time with a suitcase full of memories from past visits to draw on, though somehow every trip still manages to surprise me!

Seoul welcomed me warmly, as it always does. The Fay Korean Parents' Association hosted a beautiful reception at Yeong Bin Gwan in the Shilla Hotel, and it was so fun to celebrate the graduating students–and to welcome some new ones! The next day I was treated to a delectable lunch at the renown Korea House, and a trip to the National Museum of Korean History gave me a chance to revisit a history I never tire of learning more about. That evening, I got to attend a fun and festive alumni reception. So many familiar faces — it's humbling how many people remember this small moose!

Shanghai came next, and I was thrilled to ride the elevator to the top of the Shanghai World Financial Center to look out over the whole city. Down at street level, I wandered the old former concessions and walked the Bund, and that night I got to cruise the Huangpu River by boat, watching the lights double themselves in the water. So many meals, too — breakfast, lunch, dinner — shared with current and past Fay families and alumni. I'm continually grateful for how many people open their tables and their time to me on these trips.

Hangzhou slowed the pace a little, and I was grateful for it: lunch at Louwailou, a peaceful walk along West Lake, and a Fay dinner that evening at the West Lake State Guest House. Then Typhoon Dolphin rearranged our plans, and instead of flying to Beijing, we took the high-speed train — a new way to travel for me!

Beijing brought us to the Summer Palace and the Imperial Academy, and I even got to tour Keystone Academy to see another school's community in action. One final reception with current and past Fay families and alumni closed out the trip, and as always, I left feeling grateful — for the people who welcomed me, the ones who remembered me from before, and the chance to represent Fay in places I've come to think of as a second home.

May 23-25, 2026: The Azores

I noticed Ms. Waters was packing a suitcase for Memorial Day weekend, and when she wasn’t looking, I jumped into it! Just several hours later, I found myself in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Azores. An archipelago of nine volcanic islands, the Azores are an autonomous region of Portugal one thousand miles off the country’s west coast. Ms. Waters was visiting the main island of São Miguel. Together we saw the crater lakes at Sete Cidades, one side blue, one side green. I got a little damp at the thermal springs in Furnas and then dried off walking the rows of tea bushes at Chá Gorreana, the oldest tea plantations left in Europe. We spent some time exploring the cliffs after that– black rock, blue hydrangeas everywhere, and cows around every bend. The cheese is excellent, and a nice compliment to all the seafood! We also enjoyed a walk through the city of Ponta Delgada’s black-and-white tiled streets. Here I am with Gonçalo Velho Cabral, a 15th-century Portuguese explorer and navigator credited with discovering the Azores in the 1430s. I enjoyed my weekend away with Ms. Waters and am looking forward to the final weeks of the school year back at Fay!

December 9-17, 2025: Beijing and Bangkok

You know me - Mortimer the Moose - and I would not miss an opportunity to see my Fay friends on the other side of the world! With winter holidays on the near horizon, I couldn’t wait for school to let out to enjoy my next adventure. I jumped into the carry-on of Ms. Waters to accompany her to Beijing and then Bangkok - our first time to Thailand!

I was certainly happy to have fur in Beijing, because the weather was very similar to Massachusetts - chilly and snowy! We visited the Hutong neighborhoods, crossed a scenic Ming Dynasty era bridge, and ate some Tanghulu (sugared hawthorn berries) among other delectable local treats. Ms. Waters always likes to visit schools wherever she goes, so I tagged along to see International School Beijing. It was fun to meet up with a younger sibling of a current Fay student while there! A huge highlight was getting to climb up to the Great Wall of China, at Mutianyu, which was covered in snow and incredibly picturesque! Did you know that the Great Wall is over 13,100 miles long and took over 2,000 years to complete? What a historical feat of engineering! On the way back from the Great Wall, we drove through the Beijing Olympic Park and saw more famous architecture - the Water Cube and Bird’s Nest Stadium!

Next it was off to Bangkok, where on the first night, I rode an elevator up to the top of the country’s tallest building, King Power Mahanakhon, for dinner. I learned that Ms. Waters is not a huge fan of heights when she chickened out and wouldn’t walk across the SkyWalk glass platform on the observation deck! Lucky us, we got another incredible roof deck experience at the Fay alumni party at Nobu in The Empire. What a view, and the company could not be beat! It was so fun to bring alumni dating back to the 1970s together to celebrate Fay’s longtime connection to Thailand. The next day, I enjoyed a daytime tour of the stunning Grand Palace and also Wat Pho, where I met a monk and got up close and personal with the famous, golden Reclining Buddha. We carried beautiful, fragrant jasmine malai and were refreshed by some Cha Yen, which is a flavorful orange Thai iced tea. I enjoyed a little shopping along the Chao Phraya River before enjoying a riverboat cruise to see Wat Arun all lit up at night. It was so memorable!

I consider myself a lucky moose indeed to be able to visit world wonders and heritage sites, which increases my appreciation and understanding of cultures represented at Fay. Of course, the highlights of my travels to Beijing and Bangkok were meeting with current and past parents, prospective students and families, and our alumni! I am grateful for all the amazing meals and hospitality, and feel fortunate to have connected with Fay supporters far and wide. Now, I’m headed home to arrive in time for the Winter Concert!

July 27 - August 2, 2025: Seoul and Tokyo

I have been enjoying a busy summer! After spending some delightful weeks as part of Fay summer programs on campus, I was invited to accompany Ms. Waters to visit Fay families and alumni in Korea and Japan. On my return trip to Seoul, I was happy to stop by the beautiful 14th century Gyeonbokung Palace and visit the Leeum Samsung Art Museum to take in a modern art exhibit alongside a permanent collection of remarkable 13th century ceramics. I also attended a special alumni and past parent reception at a stunning early 19th century hanok, which is a traditional wood frame Korean house.

I had never traveled to Tokyo, and upon arrival was excited to tour around the Shinagawa district, which included a view of Tokyo Tower, tour of Sony HQ, walk through the bustling Shinagawa train station, and an exploration of a traditional Japanese garden with historical heritage from Nara, the ancient capital. I made friends with some koi fish! For dinner that night, we ate in the ‘restaurant in the sky,’ which featured a 360 degree view of Tokyo and a glimpse of Mount Fuji in the distance. While in Tokyo I also spent an afternoon at Keio University, founded in 1858 by Yukichi Fukuzawa, which is only eight years before Harriet Burnett and Eliza B. Fay founded Fay School! Ms. Waters really enjoyed eating lots of sushi at Nishiazabu Taku, a traditional sushi restaurant, on our last day. She felt conflicted about eating her second favorite animal apart from moose - an octopus. I am an herbivore so I just stuck to the seaweed salad!

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Spring Break March 2025: Puerto Rico

Once in a while I like to tag along with three Fay students who hang out with Ms. Waters a lot- her children! I was a spring break stowaway for their family adventure to Puerto Rico. Mr. and Ms. Waters were career history teachers before coming to Fay, and when they travel, they always like to see the sites. I really enjoyed checking out Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a fortress that was first built in the 16th century at the entrance to the Bay of San Juan. I saw a lot of iguanas and cats, but thought I wouldn’t see another moose…until Ainsley ran into her classmate Lukas ‘29, who coincidentally also had Mortimer with him! It truly is a small world.

December 6-14, 2024: Taipei, Shanghai & Beijing

I am one lucky moose, as I enjoyed being packed up in Ms. Waters’ suitcase for an adventure to Taiwan and China right before the holiday festivities picked up at Fay!

In Taipei, we walked around the Datong District to experience the markets and appreciate the many foods available: jellyfish, sea cucumbers, squid, abalone, shark fin, bird nests, and notably, many varieties of mushroom. We learned a lot about the history of tea at the Mi Bo Tea Shop, and then were treated to some bubble tea and strawberry mochi nearby - yum! After meeting with an incredibly enthusiastic group of Fay alumni at a wonderfully memorable dinner, we continued onto Shanghai.

In Shanghai, we zoomed up 128 stories of the Shanghai Tower to take in the city from up above, before walking the Bund and visiting Yuyuan Bazaar, all of which were wonderfully scenic. We ate more delicious food, and I learned that I very much like taro root, which is a nice vegetable for a moose! We had the nicest time meeting past and current Fay parents, before heading off to our final stop, Beijing.

In Beijing, we visited the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the National Museum of China. It was a little chilly so I felt right at home - same weather as New England! I learned that phoenix, cranes, tortoises, lions and dragons hold special significance in Chinese lore and artistic expression; there were statues of them throughout the Forbidden City and in the museum. I hope that someday the Fay community makes a statue of me on campus! After meeting lots of amazing Fay families in Beijing, we flew back home to take part in the winter concert…and eat lots of cookies with the students! This was a December I will never forget!

November 11, 2024: JBSA, AISNE, TABS, 1911

Ms. Waters and I sure have been busy! First, we attended the Junior Boarding Schools Association retreat at the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, CT in early October. I had never been to “the island” before, and I enjoyed a tour of the campus with some terrific student guides. I then got to attend the Association of Independent Schools of New England Diversity, Equity & Inclusion conference with over a dozen Fay faculty and staff members. I found the closing keynote by Jason Craige Harris on preparing for the election to be particularly interesting. Did you know that in Primary School, the students voted on a book for me to read to gain more insight into Fay values and community life? I’m so excited to read Perfectly Imperfectly Mira! Next, I traveled down to Washington, D.C. to attend The Association of Boarding Schools conference–you can see me here with Ms. Anthony, the Director of Equity and Inclusion. My favorite session was on “Turning Climate Despair into Climate Repair,” because I know we’re doing a lot of planning about environmental sustainability at Fay right now. That’s really important to me because I am a moose and live outdoors in nature. Finally, I journeyed to Princeton, New Jersey, for the The 1911 Group conference to learn from interesting speakers with other heads of school. I got a tour of the beautiful Princeton University campus, and discovered that their mascot is a tiger–yikes!

September 27, 2024: Southborough, MA

Usually I only write when I venture out from my home at 48 Main Street, but today was too special a day not to include in my journal. Today, after a dozen years of being the unofficial mascot of Fay School, Ms. Waters had three special ceremonies at division morning meetings to formally acknowledge me as the official mascot of Fay! This makes so much sense with this year’s school theme, “Seeing and Being Seen.” I do really feel seen by this community that I love so much!

I got dressed up in a special Fay School tshirt and official sash, and I was able to run out on stage and show everyone my dance moves. All the students, faculty and staff were cheering for me, and they even did moose antlers with their hands on their heads to show their support! Then, tonight, I was invited to attend Friday Night Lights to cheer on the varsity field hockey and boys’ soccer teams. I ran out with each team, and then walked around the sidelines where I took lots of pictures with students and families. I will remember this day for the rest of my life.

September 19, 2024: Tuftonboro, NH

I rode shotgun with Ms. Waters in the dark up to New Hampshire on Wednesday night so that we could wake up and greet the morning with the sixth graders first thing at Merrowvista on Thursday morning. It was well worth the adventure of getting there to be greeted by so many eager 11 year-olds who were up and at ‘em, ready to go on waterfall hikes, do yoga, and play basketball all before breakfast was even served!

I felt right at home in the woods and was ready to climb a mountain, but then I learned that in fact the climbing I would be doing involved a harness, rope, and going straight up in the air! Fortunately, a really nice student named Renee tucked me into her pocket so that I could enjoy the experience from a safe spot as she tackled an obstacle course far above the ground. If you look closely at the picture, you can see my head poking out.

Some of the other things I enjoyed about Merrowvista included singing camp songs at lunchtime and taking part in the meal clean-up. It’s nice to do dishes with your friends if you have some good tunes blaring and everyone is helping out! I also liked hearing the students shout out their peers for embodying FSQs (Fay School Qualities). It gave me the warm and (extra) fuzzies!

August 5-10, 2024: Hong Kong and Seoul

As a moose, albeit a small one, I wasn’t sure how I felt about airplanes - especially a fifteen-hour flight over the Arctic Circle. But I thought to myself, if students at Fay can do this, so can I! You can if you will.

Thank goodness I seized the opportunity because wow, was I in for an incredible adventure to Hong Kong and Seoul! In Hong Kong, I climbed to the top of Victoria Peak to take in a magnificent vista, enjoyed a little shopping in a local marketplace, and visited a beautiful beach. I tried new foods and learned that I really like abalone! Most of all, I felt lucky to attend a reception where I met a great group of Fay parents and alumni.

I flew on to Seoul, where I visited the Gyeongbokgung Palace amidst visitors wearing hanbok to observe the changing of the guard. Mr. Sumner, Ms. Waters and I escaped the heat with ice cream at Baekmidang before heading to the Leeum Samsung Museum of Modern Art. I tried Korean barbecue, which I loved! I also drank lots of tea. My favorite part was feeling like a special guest at the Korean Parents’ Association dinner honoring all of the students graduating from Fay, and also entering into Fay as new students. It was a highly memorable day that provided a window into the amazing history and culture of a beautiful nation.

I am really looking forward to my next international adventures to Mexico City, Taipei, Shanghai and Beijing coming up in November and December!

July 24-25, 2024: Ashland, Massachusetts

This week I was on the move and landed at the Warren Center in Ashland, MA. Ms. Waters told me she and the other members of the senior leadership team at Fay were having a “retreat.” She put me at the front of the room under the projection screen where I could listen to them work on team building and planning for the year ahead. Personally, I was a big fan of the snacks. Did you know that mooses are herbivores? Ms. Waters had trail mix, but I stuffed my furry face with some delicious bark!

July 13-19, 2024: Atlanta, Georgia

Ms. Waters and I attended the NAIS Institute for New Heads in Atlanta, Georgia this week. There were 70 first-time heads of school in attendance, from all over the country, including Hawaii! Mooses are good swimmers but Hawaii is too far out to sea for me to visit. We participated in sessions focused on strategic thinking, governance, finance, diversity, equity, inclusion, and more. That’s a bunch of fancy words that mean Ms. Waters was learning how to take good care of Fay. I was very excited to meet Mr. Scoville, who is the head of school of The Fay School in Houston, Texas. Their mascot is Ernie the Alligator. Mr. Scoville and Ms. Waters said that maybe primary and lower school students can help us write letters to each other this year. I would really like that!

Mortimer on the Move!

Ms. Waters and Mortimer the Moose are on the move...

List of 13 news stories.