We came, we saw, we had winter carnival

It was only a few years ago when the Administrative team concluded that our students needed a bit of a morale boost to get us through the winter. Within just a few conversations with other adults on campus, the concept of our modern winter carnival was born – bringing back a cherished Berwick tradition from years gone by. Suddenly outdoor rinks, snow sculptures, and sled races become all the rage for one Friday in February as our community comes together to celebrate to joys of winter and the joys of being a kid. This is a very good thing – even on the heels of far too many snow issues in one academic week.

As with most good things at Berwick, this is a moment when we embrace our PK-12 composition, finding a schedule and connection for every student in the school. The heroes are everywhere for this one. Lucy Pollard seemingly leads the adult charge in the Upper School. Rob Quinn, Jason Murray, and others are scrambling around in advance to create schedules and build rinks. Marilena Canuto and Travis Derr are also highly involved from within our Athletic Department. But this is such an unfair short list of names, as virtually every adult in the community pitches in to make this day possible. And the student leadership is equally phenomenal, spearheading a tone of teamwork and school spirit that creates a lasting memory for us all.

As I sit at my computer watching the final few inches of about a foot of snow coming down up in the Fogg parking lot, I know that the outdoor environment will likely be a bit rugged this year. Perhaps there will need to be a few more indoor breaks than usual. Yet I can’t imagine there can be much that will slow this juggernaut down. Winter Carnival is a time to pause and remember what its like to make a snow angel, play broomball, or even how to laugh during the heart and soul of the academic year at Berwick Academy. So brush off those snow pants, Berwick –Winter Carnival is here.

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...

Inspiration Commons

All this week, I have been sneaking into the library every six hours or so. With our new Inspiration Commons set to open over the weekend, the final details are being installed and the results are spectacular. For me, it is so rewarding to see how our donor community has rallied behind the notion of an educational experience that will be hands-on and engaging. Just walking through the new fabrication studio, as the new tools were being unpacked, there was an unspoken energy in the room that it was time to build something. The teachers who were being trained on the equipment simply had smiles on their faces. So did I. But standing on the second floor, looking down over the new balcony, one realizes that the Inspiration Commons has very little to do with technology in the end. Surveying new furniture and the new organization of space, I could envision how kids will want to be in this space - together. They will want to have conversations, collaboration, and time to make their ideas ...

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...

Berwick Academy Head of School

Search This Blog