Cissy Lewis | Blogger: travel

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Grand Canyon

I just returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon. Because I have a dog, I couldn’t get down into the Canyon, but I was able to take a wonderful long hike from the Village out to Hermit’s Rest along the South Rim. It felt like an otherworldly experience, as though I were not only stepping back in geological time but also entering a world uniquely its own. The words that came to my mind to describe the experience and the views were “majestic,” “magnificent,” magical,” ‘mysterious.” Regardless of one’s religious inclinations, the Canyon is definitely a spiritual space, one that touches one and moves one to the core. I will be forever grateful that I now have those astonishing vistas as part of the furniture of my imagination – to nurture and inspire and heal.

Wednesday, May 11, 2016

The Amazing Splendor of Machu Picchu

Respected educator Cissy Lewis has taught in a variety of settings. Outside of her work, Cissy Lewis has traveled to many different continents, including South America.

One of the most popular destinations within South America is Machu Picchu. This historical landmark is located in Cuzco, in Peru. Tourists from all over the world flood this area during the summer months. There are more than 5,000 steps leading up to the peak of Machu Picchu, which hundreds of thousands of individuals climb every year to view the region and the impressive stone monuments. The entire site spans a 5-mile distance. Regardless of its popularity, though, little is known about this lost Incan city.

The American historian Hiram Bingham discovered this lost city in 1911. Then, he found more ruins on the Inca Trail when he went back a few years later. Scientists have since identified more than 100 skeletal remains and 50 burial sites. Machu Picchu is considered to have been a sacred religious site for the leaders of the Incas.

Several theories exist to explain the creation of this city. One of the more prominent theories is that the city was founded to preserve Incan culture during the last years of the civilization.

About Me

Cissy Lewis, an award-winning educator, has been involved in schools all of her life. As an eleven-year-old, she started her first school in Santiago, Chile, teaching reading and writing to children who had no school options. She comes from a line of educators – her mother earned a Ph.D. in political science in an era when few women were earning advanced degrees, and her grandfather taught Greek and Latin.

She started her teaching career at The Hockaday School in Dallas, Texas, where she taught English in both the Upper and Middle Schools. At The Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, Tennessee, she was honored with the Best New Teacher award. At the Castilleja School, she twice received the Distinguished Teacher Award.

Cissy Lewis held leadership positions at The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and at The Castilleja School in Palo Alto, California. At Baylor, she joined the administrative team, initially as Dean of Girls and then as Assistant Head of School, to help the school implement the transition from an all-boys school to coeducation. At Castilleja, she was academic dean, Head of Upper School, Assistant Head of School, and interim Head of School. Her responsibilities included oversight of the daily academic operations of the school, and coordinating the recruitment and hiring of new faculty. She also oversaw curricular review, the faculty evaluation system, and faculty professional growth.

Ms. Lewis attended Mt. Holyoke College and subsequently received bachelor’s degrees in both biology and English cum laude from The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee. She pursued graduate studies at The Bread Loaf School of English where she received her M.A. and was honored as Class Marshall. She also earned an M.Ed. at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education, where she was influenced by Carol Gilligan’s groundbreaking research as reflected in her seminal work In a Different Voice, and focused on the psychology of adolescence and the education of girls.

Ms. Lewis has served on the Board of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, California, and The Carey School in San Mateo, California. She enjoys reading, hiking, yoga, and travelling.