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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 or paint a picture is a skill that can last a lifetime, it is more the ability to express something soulfully that impresses me with our kids. One sits in that room and realizes that their song selections, the partners they choose, and the arrangements they create all come from a place of dignity and sophistication. It is not a playful joke – more of a thoughtful montage presented to each other.

With the last day of classes and the Senior Walk today, I am reminded that I also love Senior Arts night as it only announces the beginning of the end rather than the end itself. It launches our seniors now on a few weeks of individual exploration but more importantly time spent with each other. These are the moments, just a few weeks before we hand each student a diploma, when one sees the mosaic of a class begin to truly come into focus. They are the moments when the cliques and sports teams and agendas truly fade into the background and the unified class of 2018 emerges in full bloom.

One realizes, as a Head of School, that it is such a privilege to be in the room. There is a famous saying that while teachers get older, the kids stay the same age. This is surely true, and yet there is something about the magic of senior year, particularly the power of friendship, that fills my tank each spring. For those of us who are so buried in the pace, responsibility, and important work of middle age, it is a privilege to be a part of their journey. Their friendships are formed through lots of hard work and plenty of peaks and troughs. I hope that all of you get a chance to experience this privilege before your child graduates from this special place.


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