Skip to main content

Heatwaves and another classic

            What an incredible week of heat on the Hilltop. I must say that as I struggled around campus having to wear sunscreen and a tie, I was so impressed by the positive attitude of teachers and students working through this surprising weather pattern. In particular, we know it can be intense in Fogg and in the Middle School, and yet every student I engaged about the topic was quick to smile and remind me we would not be complaining for long – extended summer was not all bad.

            In the news this week, we learned of the scandal involving Rick Pitino and quite likely a huge swath of college athletic programs. The issue has apparently become so large that the FBI is in the middle of the conversation. As a former collegiate athlete and coach, it is so discouraging to observe when athletics become so out of whack with the missions of educational institutions. As we enjoyed an amazing alumni weekend on our fields as a community, I was reminded just how lucky we are to augment our academic programs with the lessons our kids learn from competitive athletics. This past weekend brought some great highlights but also some disappointment to our teams, and it was inspiring to watch our coaches work through all of this with our players – once again focused on the learning and growth of young people.

             While it may be cliché to some, I continually admire the ways in which our students learn lessons of character through competition. Whether a Berwick student is simply filling an afternoon requirement or on a path to competing in college, I have no doubt that they learn valuable lessons about themselves and their peers. Just this past Wednesday, I found myself in Boston talking to three other Heads of School about the challenges and threats to the teacher/coach model at our independent schools. The demands on teaching and coaching have seemingly grown exponentially in the past decade, putting the entire model under a new level of strain. Yet I continue to believe in the fundamental power of students coming to know their teachers in multiple forums. Once again, the potential for character development is omnipresent in this model, reinforcing the power of relationships in the Berwick community.


            Just yesterday, our community came out once again to support athletics at an amazing Bulldog Classic golf tournament. Now in my eleventh year, I am in awe of the loyal group of people who come out every year to play and sponsor this important event. This year I was able to cobble together a team that certainly had something in common: fathers of third grade girls. We were pleased to notch a second place finish but were even more proud of a few of our victory dances after sinking unexpected putts. This also reminded me of one the best parts of athletic competition as well: good old-fashioned fun.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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 ...
Post a Comment
Read more