The power of the student voice

Yesterday, the Board of Trustees gathered for its annual retreat. It was a powerful day focused upon the purposes and goals of our new cultural competency efforts. As you might imagine, it was a topic that afforded us to think deeply about Berwick’s culture while also considering important strategic initiatives for the future. There were many powerful moments throughout the day, including presentations from Berwick faculty and our Director of Cultural Competency, Michael Buensuceso.

With all of that said, I found the most impactful part of the day to be listening to three of our Upper School students who spoke to their experiences of traveling to the Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) this past year. All of us, in the audience, were struck by their openness, honesty, and courage in sharing their experiences talking about hard issues around identity as well as their experience on our campus. In some cases, this came from the perspective of what it can be like to be a student of color at Berwick Academy. As Head of School, it is always so exciting to see how our trustees respond to student voices. The questions and overall tenor of engagement revealed such a level of empathy and a commitment to our mission. It was certainly a proud moment for me on all sides.

I could not help but reflect upon a few things. First of all, it would have been impossible for me to conceive of presenting on such a topic to a Board of Trustees as a high school student. As friendly and supportive as our Board may be, it is an intimidating experience to speak in front of such a gathering. My second thought was how proud I was of the way our students must have represented our school at a national summit of student leaders talking about race and identity. Their sense of balance and perspective seemed to reflect the very values we espouse as an institution.

I know that we are not perfect as a school, but I left the experience yesterday reminded that we have exceptional faculty and trustees – but especially students. I know that by continuing to listen to them, our school will be able to evolve into the strongest possible community it can be.

Comments

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 ...

Berwick Academy Head of School

Search This Blog