Meet Mr. Buck

 Meet Mr. Buck, our new vice principal at Weston Middle School. He grew up in Arlington MA. He has an undergraduate degree at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a graduate degree from Tufts University. 

Q&A With Mr. Buck

Reynah Chowrira: Tell me a little about yourself: about your family and where you taught before Weston?

Mr. Buck: I have two amazing children Arya (7) and Kiran (5) and an amazing partner who both supports me and pushes me to be the best version of myself. Parenting for me is the highlight of my life. I’ve never found as much joy (or stress) in any activity as I do in parenting. Helping my little ones learn about the world and themselves is a gift everyday and I try to make sure I embrace it. Before Weston I spent 5 years as a teacher/counselor at Farr Academy in Cambridge MA and 7 years as a program manager and teacher at Arlington High School.

RC: What is one of your hidden talents?

Mr. B: I love playing music. I’m currently in two bands where I play the bass and sing. I also play percussion and some other stringed instruments, and have greatly enjoyed helping Arya and Kiran learn some instruments as well.

A little known fact is that both Mr. Oates and I were once middle school tuba players.

RC: What is your toughest challenge at Weston Middle School so far? 

Mr. B: Finding balance. In Weston there are so many amazing things going on. Whether it's the engaging lessons being taught in our classrooms, incredible activities being offered, sports teams, clubs, music/art groups, etc... I really want to see and do it all. I frequently have to remind myself that I’ll get to everything I want to be part of, it just may take a little bit of time.

RC: What is your dream vacation?

Mr. B: We went to Turks and Caicos this past April vacation and that is pretty close to paradise. We spent a lot of time snorkeling, sailing, dancing, swimming, and just relaxing by the pool. If you pair that with some amazing mountain hikes and views that sounds pretty ideal to me.

RC: What is your favorite quote, book, poem, or speech?

Mr. B: I’m going to say right now that it is Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. It’s a book that I keep coming back to and despite reading and teaching it for years I always find something new and amazing about it. It is an incredible story about survival and finding belonging in a post-apocalyptic world. I’d strongly recommend it for those in eighth grade and up.

RC: What is your favorite thing about Weston Middle School?

Mr. B: My favorite thing is watching our amazing teachers work every single day to create an environment where every student can succeed. I’m learning so much everyday, and I’m really grateful to be a part of such an amazing team. I have found that both our students and families are amazingly appreciative of our staff’s hard work and dedication and that makes a really great recipe for both belonging and academic success

RC: Tell me a little about Loving Little Minds?

Mr. B: Loving Little Minds is a US-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that my wife and I started in June of 2020. We were at home with our two small kiddos and like much of America, stressed with both the pandemic and grappling with the death of George Floyd and other men and women of color. We decided we needed to find a way to more actively support connections across color, race, religion, orientation, gender, ability, and culture lines in our country. Our love of reading and close proximity to children’s books led to the creation of Loving Little Minds. Loving Little Minds raises funds and then provides free children’s multicultural books to kids ages 0-6 to battle systemic racism and empower our littles to envision a more just future for all. We work with diverse authors, bookstores, schools, hospitals and community centers, so kids have access to stories that represent both themselves and everyone else.

We hope to inspire future generations to make positive and inclusive change. We have in the past and currently have a student intern so when you get to high school don’t hesitate to reach out if you are interested.

Wrap up

A very warm welcome to Mr. Buck. Weston Middle Schoolers are truly lucky to have a vice principal like Mr. Buck,  who is humble, accomplished, and passionate; helping make our world a better place. Thank you Mr. Buck. We as a community are  grateful to have such a wonderful vice principal at our school.  I am positive all of us Middle schoolers will look forward to contributing to Loving Little Minds in the future.