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Lower School Stars

            Excitement has been mounting in my household for the Lower School production this week. We have been stockpiling leggings and finishing up puppets for quite some time. There are many great lessons my girls learn from the build up to this production each spring. There is no doubt in my mind that this particular performance brings out their sense of pride in not just being Berwick Academy students – but being members of our Lower School. It is such a powerful community moment for them and it is a chance for them to share their work with the broader community that they love so dearly.

            It needs to be said that pulling off a full-division production with such young students is unlike any other pedagogical challenge on this campus. As you might imagine, simply monitoring the kids through this atypical process is enough to exhaust a normal adult. However, our teachers are able to catalyze singing, acting, and performance that always succeeds in coalescing the division around a new sense of purpose and direction. While I have particular admiration for the various adults leading this effort, it truly takes the entire employee village of our Lower School to pull off this miracle each and every year.

            The Lower School production has taken on all kinds of shapes and sizes over the years. From my seat, it represents a never-ending quest to create an outstanding production that does not overly tax classroom time and other important learning each spring. This is no easy balance to strike, as the more ambitious the production becomes, the more time we inevitably pull these kids away from their homeroom instruction. Additionally, I always see individual Lower School teachers rise up to help design, create, and support the event in inspiring and unexpected ways. Perhaps it is based on my bias as a Lower School parent or my longitudinal appreciation for having watched the event for nine years as Head of School – this event is a labor of love.


            When we consider the goals of Curriculum 2020, or even the skills of the 21st century, there is no question that this event requires collaboration, creativity, and public performance in a way that pushes students out of their comfort zone. The Lower School production is a growth moment for all of us to enjoy from the audience. I plan to get there early today to grab a seat with my family. Who knows what unexpected giggle, smile, or costume malfunction might occur. Perhaps I will pull out the iPhone and “iso-cam” on Avery or Kenna for a while. What I know for sure is that it will conclude with a beaming group of students, obviously proud that they have suddenly exceeded what had previously been their own expectations of themselves.

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