September's Strand

One thing I love about the opening weeks of school is that I make a point to get out of my office. I walk. I cruise through as many classes as I can, checking in on our new teachers while soaking in the energy and magic of our veteran teachers. I stand on the new seal next to the Commons to welcome families in the morning, and I lean against the black turf field fence to watch the setting sun shimmer amidst a soccer game in the late afternoon. I can just see the beginning of color in the trees, but mostly there is a ubiquitous sense of green. Things are alive.

First Day in the Upper School

When the students have been away for so long, it is easy to forget that a school is a living, breathing thing. I get focused on sidewalks, roof repairs, and landscaping – or even more abstract philosophical directions for the future. But for the first few weeks of school, one can’t help but be moved by the children. I am reminded of their innate curiosity, and they return from summer thirsting for more. Perhaps with just a slight sense of making up for lost time, there is an authentic urgency to the work that lies ahead of us. Tanks are full. Possibilities abound. Stories are unwritten.

Lower School Ice Cream Social

There are other moments in the rhythm and life of the school. Each month, in a way, has its own essential strand to add to our DNA. But September’s strand is laced with hope, optimism, and possibility. There is a communal energy that almost feels too big for the expansive campus we enjoy on this Hilltop. If you happen to be on campus in the next few weeks for a drop-off, pick-up, or general school event, take a moment to stop and soak September’s strand. It is an energy that has the power to make all of us young once again.

Picture Day

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Piercing the Bubble

This week we were so fortunate to have former NH Senator Kelly Ayotte address grades 7 – 11 in our theater about Civil Discourse in a time of Political Polarization. Senator Ayotte spoke to the need to take the high road in tough conversations and put an incredible primacy on building relationships with people who hold different opinions. She was able to speak to some of her own successes in working across the aisle to develop legislation to address the opioid crisis in New Hampshire as one powerful example of how this can be possible. Additionally, Senator Ayotte offered a strong reminder to our students of the need for more women in positions of leadership within our government, citing that she had only been the 53rd woman to serve in the US senate during her tenure. With a down-to-earth style and but an appropriately impassioned call to action, she challenged our students to become the leaders that they could be. Her call to action and example of service were powerful reminder...

Arts Underground

One of Berwick’s great strengths is its arts culture, and I have always felt that there is both a public and private face of this culture. The public face includes our amazing concerts, our ambitious productions, and the various art shows we produce throughout the year. The private face tends to include things like private lessons, coffeehouses, assembly performances, murals painted on walls, and unexpected artistic expressions that emerge on campus throughout the year. One of the great traditions I will miss at Berwick will be the annual recital week in April. So many of our students hone their craft on private music lessons throughout the year in the hopes of having a public performance at this time. Simultaneously, we have a week of performances in the theater and in Chip Harding’s coffeehouse lair – the space he likes to refer to as his “smoldering ruins,” referring to the carnage left there after every Middle School electric guitar class. This year, for my second and final time, I...

Senior Arts Night

We often say in the Admissions office that it is hard to truly bottle the Berwick experience for prospective families to understand. Senior Arts Night is one of those magical Berwick moments that is difficult to fully explain. One certainly feels the power of a PK-12 community when kids announce they will be playing the song they last played in the fourth grade talent show. When I spend time with these young adults, I feel such optimism for the future. Last night I was able to sit with some senior parents, some of whom I have known for over a decade. Whether it was hearing their own child sing or a peer sing, it did not take long for the tears to roll. What I have always loved about Senior Arts night is that it never fails to offer surprises – a voice I didn’t know about or an artist that had been working in the shadows. It is a night when I often most appreciate the value of the “whole child” education that we preach on this Hilltop. Beyond the reality that being able to play guitar ...

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