Sharing a Vision

A week ago, I had the pleasure of hosting an admission open house the morning of the Super Bowl.  A half dozen families dropped by that morning to learn more about The Beech Hill School.  A handful of faculty and students led our guests around the school, answering questions, providing information about the programs and, as I like to say, helping others to discover why students thrive at The Beech Hill School.  There is no script for our student and faculty tour guides, and every family brings unique questions for their guides.  In the end, the feedback that I get from prospective families is almost always the same – our tour was amazing, and you can tell how happy folks are at The Beech Hill School.

It was not always so easy to help prospective families understand the value of a Beech Hill School education.  I remember vividly, in the winter of 2012, just over ten years ago, holding information sessions about a new school beginning in the fall of 2012.  There was no building to tour at that point, there were no teachers to talk about their classes, and there were no students to share anecdotes about their experiences.  There was simply the idea that a quality middle school experience is critical, and that The Beech Hill School could provide that experience.  Fortunately, a few intrepid families had faith in this vision, and those students are now finding success in college and beyond.  In fact, one of those students is now the teacher, as Wyatt Ellinwood, BHS class of 2014, is now teaching an elective at BHS!

It brings me great joy to reflect on the history of The Beech Hill School and I am so grateful for the efforts of so many that have sustained the growth and development of BHS.  More importantly, I am incredibly proud to be part of a community where everyone – students, parents, faculty, alumni, board members, etc – can authentically and wholeheartedly feel part of something special.

Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday.  When I was in middle school, I would have thought that this day was a national holiday.  All day long, I would be giddy with excitement for the big game.  I remember that ESPN would show NFL Films recaps of past Super Bowls, in order, throughout the day.  I would watch every one!  The music of NFL Films and John Facenda’s deep voice made everything about the Super Bowl feel larger than life.  It did not matter the teams that played, I just imagined that the whole world must be waiting with bated breath, like me, for kick off.

I have written before about the importance of football in my life, so one might assume that I still would be crazy about the Super Bowl.  Somewhere between 1985 and the present, however, Super Bowl Sunday lost its shine.  I still find time in my schedule to watch, but it is not that monumental day that it once was.

As I was reflecting on this, I was wondering if my seventh-grade self would have believed this to be the case.  I am pretty certain that Ricky Johnson of the mid-80s would be incredulous, and probably a little disappointed in the way that his adult-self views the Super Bowl.

This then led me to reflect on the current students at The Beech Hill School.  What will they remember with a gauzy nostalgia from their lives in 30 to 40 years only to have its importance fade as they age. Will it be something like the Super Bowl, Harry Potter or maybe it will be an activity that they think defines their life?  It is hard to know how tastes, priorities and lives will change through the years. 

This I know - I loved those old Super Bowl Sundays, and I am so glad that my family would let me get excited, stay up past my bedtime and have a great day geeking out on football.  While there is no doubt that the current group of middle schoolers will change so much in the years to come, I hope that we support their current passions and excitements, even knowing that it could just be a passing phase, so that when they reflect on their middle school years, they too will have fond memories.

As a side note, when writing this, I looked up an old NFL Films video on YouTube.  The sound of the music and John Facenda’s voice already made this year’s Super Bowl Sunday a winner for me!

Healthy Competition

As far as competitions go, this was a big week for The Beech Hill School.  The MathCounts team hosted a math competition, the faculty were competing in Faculty Jeopardy, the whole school participated in the stackers competition, we crowned a Spelling Bee champion – congratulations Lennon! – and our climbing team was competing in the second contest of the winter season on Saturday.

Philosophically, I believe that competitions are a good thing – they provide a forum for individuals to test themselves, and, hopefully, are enjoyable.  The MathCounts competition this week was a perfect example of this, as almost 30 students from different schools came to BHS on Thursday afternoon to test their math acumen.  After students put forth their best effort to answer 30 demanding questions in 40 minutes, they all hung out together, eating pizza, Oreos and animal crackers.  Awards were given, but what mattered most was that a bunch of middle schoolers got a chance to push themselves – not for a grade – but for the joy of the challenge.  Throughout the event, there were no tears, no taunts, and no yelling or jeers.  There were, however, smiles, congratulations, and gratitude.

When done well, competitions of any sort are great avenues for community building.  By their very nature, competitions require numerous participants.  When competitors join together in a common pursuit of excellence, it is something to see.  Especially when that pursuit is undergirded by respect.  Such was the case this week at BHS.  I watched as students cheered on their classmates, when competitors shook hands and hugged after competitions and witnessed the awestruck faces of students that watched as their peers accomplished great feats.

Unfortunately, competition is too often associated with boorish and brutish behaviors.  From parents and coaches mistreating others, to students putting undo pressure on themselves, and more – competition can sometimes be taken too far.

I am pleased to report that our community is a better place because our students have the chance to compete in a safe and healthy manner.  Congratulations to all the individuals that participated in, organized, or simply made possible the opportunity for BHS students to test themselves and to enjoy the pleasures of this week’s competitions.

On Creativity...

Last weekend I drove my daughter, Elizabeth, to a lacrosse event in Boston.  I spend a lot of time traveling with her for her sports, and as a teenager, there are many miles when she is completely absorbed by her phone.  Fortunately for me, she also enjoys chatting with me, and she is quite the conversationalist.   On the ride back last week, she was especially talkative, and we were discussing a book that I had an interest in reading – Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act.

We spoke about this topic for some time before my daughter asked me point blank – “Do you think that you are a creative person?”  I was silent – which is rare for me.  I was not sure how to answer her question, as I would like to think of myself as creative, but I was reluctant to label myself as such.  In my mind, I was thinking that artists, musicians, and writers could claim to be creative  - but me?

Since that conversation I actually purchased the book I was discussing with EJ, and the very first chapter focused on this issue of being a creator.  According to Rubin, “to create is to bring something into existence that wasn’t there before.  It could be a conversation, the solution to a problem, a note to a friend, the rearrangement of furniture in a room, a new route home to avoid a traffic jam.”  His broad definition resonates with me and gives permission for all of us to see ourselves as creative.

Too often, I hear students at BHS denigrate their own creativity.  This is especially true when I ask students to draw maps.  Without exception there are always a few that will claim – “I can’t, I am not an artist.”  I always respond that I am not seeking a masterpiece, but I just would like them to make an effort.  In all of my years, I have never witnessed a student that could not create a decent map, once they simply allowed themselves a chance to just create.

From my perspective, the students and faculty at BHS are extremely creative.  Moving forward, I hope that more of our students and teachers at BHS will embrace a broader view of creativity and embrace the moniker of creator.  I, too, will be much more willing to embrace my own creativity. So, if my daughter ever asks me again if I consider myself creative, there will be no pause -  I will answer with a full-throated and resounding – YES!

Dr. King and BHS

Earlier in my career, I worked at a school just outside of Wilmington DE, and I lived in Center City, Philadelphia.  While working and living in the Mid-Atlantic region, I discovered that region celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King’s holiday in a way that is very different from what is typical in New England.  Adults and children, supported by businesses and schools, actively celebrate Dr. King’s legacy in myriad ways, with most adults engaging in a day of service – volunteering their time and treasure to help others in the community.  I was moved by this and as Head of School, have tried to bring this sense of action to BHS.  This Monday brings an opportunity to consider Dr. King’s life and work, his message, and how we can help to bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice.

Tomorrow, we will not spend a day off, doing whatever we should choose – we will spend time together as a community.  In our time together, our students will be entertained, as they will be watching movies and eating pizza.  But they will also be challenged to think about the actions of the characters in these movies.  They will hopefully recognize that an “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” and that in time, they will emerge as morally strong citizens and leaders.

It is true that we could do more, but it is also true that we could do nothing.  Like Dr. King said, “If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”  On Monday, we will keep moving forward!