Berwick Academy Head of School

            Today happens to be one of my favorite Berwick traditions: Woofstock. It is the one day a year when I strive for my best impersonation of Jim Morrison, Bono, or Jimmy Page (today it will be Eric Clapton, if you were wondering). While the reality is always shockingly anti-climactic and underwhelming, for a brief moment today - we all get to be rock stars. More importantly, the entire Berwick community throws out some blankets, enjoys some food, and celebrates another remarkable year on the Hilltop. But how did something like this begin? Now in its 15 th year, Woofstock was the brainchild of Anna Jackson, class of 2001. Presumably the idea was some kind Berwickian attempt to replicate Woodstock through a combination of music and celebration of peace. But there are lots of student ideas out there – what makes them become lasting traditions?             When we think about traditions at this school – community circles, the pep rally, Earth Day, Woofstock – th

            There are times, as Head of School, when one wonders if we are delivering on the promises we make. We talk a great deal about our mission, values, and vision for example. Our kids are almost always polite in public, thanking their teachers after their classes, but how do they act outside the classroom? Does every teacher here really know his or her students well? Is it true that kids never fall through the cracks at Berwick Academy? Is it actually cool to be smart here?             One bold promise we make is in regards to our Innovation Center. On our website, we put it this way: “The Berwick Innovation Center is an evolving program that reaches far beyond the physical Berwick Academy campus. BIC allows students the opportunity to follow their own intrinsic path to discovery.” During this particular year, having been to some conferences to promote the success of this program, I entered Monday’s event with a slightly more critical lens than usual. I wondered if this p

Late last week I was out watching a game and I heard one of my favorite phrases from an opposing team’s parent: Wow. What an amazing campus. There is no question that we enjoy one of the most impressive physical learning spaces for young people at day schools in the country. With the weather suddenly being glorious for the past ten days (I feel like we are finally being paid back for the winter), I can’t help but feel reborn again in my connection to the physical space of the Hilltop.           Recently, our trustees had their annual retreat, where one of the major points of emphasis was a conversation about long-term campus planning. The conversation had many components. As we speak, Berwick is undergoing its first true facility audit by an expert from Virginia. After two weeks of detailed analysis of our physical home, we will be empowered with a new dynamic database to consider future campus renewal issues in a more thoughtful and proactive way.   The second piece is that we a

            There is something different about Grandparents day at Berwick Academy. I have seen it at other schools, and they are certainly always fun. But here it just seems to be massive. Today, we hosted over 400 grandparents and special friends. In the last five years, we have had to move from a tent, to the Commons, and now to the field house to accommodate the growing numbers of guests. This day says something powerful about the nexus of education and about family.             As a father now, I see the power of grandparents in such a different way than before. I was never particularly close to my grandparents as a child, or at least I don’t remember it that way. I do remember them as a catalyst for bringing our family together, which was important. For my own daughters, their grandparents are essential pieces of their lives. Their role is one that combines fun, respect, and love in a slightly different kind of concoction than is present in their parents. As a son, my parent