Berwick Academy Head of School

Each year in late October, I hop on an iron bird to Chicago and gather with fifty PK-12 Heads of School and CFOs across the country to share data and think about leadership. Inevitably, I leave these gatherings inspired once again to keep improving in the areas where we seem to lag behind. Similarly, I return to South Berwick so proud of all that we have accomplished in recent years to move our school forward. Our keynote speaker this year was Roger Brown, President of the Berklee College of Music in Boston. It is remarkable to consider that he happens to be the co-founder of Bright Horizons, has made tremendous impact on world hunger through non-profit work, and almost seems to be the president of a major university in his spare time. Separate from all of that, he happens to be an avid jazz drummer with a deep understanding of the music industry. As a budding jazz player myself, I secretly dreamed of being a Berklee musician when I was a high school student but had neither the ta...

Sometimes I think there is nothing that captures the spirit of Berwick Academy better for me than morning drop off. On a given day, I usually have to pick my area of emphasis, as it can be hard to tackle all three divisions in one morning. On Wednesday I started in the Lower School parking lot, where I had a chance to open a few car doors and wave to some parents coming through for another day on the Hilltop. Without fail, I get slapped multiple high fives from our Lower School students as they literally zip past me to get in the building. Usually I try to get a reaction with something like “Ready to learn something today?” I am lucky if I get a response, as these kiddos are generally shot out of a cannon headed to their homerooms to see their friends. But every once in a while, I get to meet a new stuffed unicorn or narwhal, or I might view a demonstration of a particularly challenging “ninja move.” And with Halloween approaching, we obviously have lots to discuss. If one ever want...

  In the days ahead, one of our board committees will be taking a deep dive into the long-term efficacy of the teacher/coach model. In our Middle and Upper School, a full time job at Berwick generally requires teaching four classes and working in two major afternoon commitments – sports or otherwise. This model is, in many ways, at the root of an education that is characterized by deep relationships and a breadth of experience. We know there is great power in teachers coming to know students in forums outside of the classroom. We also know that there are huge challenges to this model for independent day schools moving forward. Perhaps the chief acknowledgement is that the kind of teaching we are asking our employees to implement today is so much more demanding than it was twenty years ago. Running a student-directed school characterized by choice and engagement requires an entirely different level of preparation from giving the same lecture as last year and grading multiple...

I happened to miss Upper School Assembly on Monday on account of my schedule, but throughout the day I joined the country in horror while learning of the size of the mass shooting in Las Vegas. In an age where the news continually delivers us terrifying accounts of unfathomable things, it is critical that we don’t become desensitized to the scope of what took place at this concert. Perhaps even more terrifying than the largest death toll in modern US history is the emerging sense that the attack probably could not have been prevented. As a father, I can’t help but wonder how I will respond the first time my daughter asks to attend her first concert.   This recent shooting emerged from a domestic sniper, and it leaves us wondering how to move forward. As I made my way to assembly on Tuesday, I asked one of the teachers whether or not we had offered a moment of silence on Monday, which we had not. I headed down to the front of assembly to catch up with senior Ben Nigrin, who run...