An Enduring Response

This past Monday marked twenty-two years since the tragedies that occurred on September 11, 2001.  For most of our faculty, the events of that day are seared in our memories, but for our students, it is simply a part of history.  During Community on Monday, I let our students know of the school’s unique connection to 9/11 and the enduring message of good over evil that The Beech Hill School represents.

On that fateful day, BHS Founder, Emily Ricard was working in finance in the World Trade Center Complex in New York City.  Fortunately, Emily was not physically harmed, but following that day, Emily was so impacted that she made a major life-change, leaving finance to become a teacher.  This decision led to a chain of events that eventually culminated in the founding of The Beech Hill School.

When I shared the story of 9/11 with our students on Monday, I also shared Emily’s story.  On 9/11 so much harm was inflicted on so many, but when one connects the dots, it is easy to see that the very existence of The Beech Hill School is an enduring response to the hate that fueled the perpetrators of 9/11.  Every day, our students are taught to respect one another, to think critically, and to value their freedoms – so that eventually they will become “intellectually curious and capable young adults who will become contributing citizens and informed decision-makers.”

Twenty-two years later, The Beech Hill School is just weeks into its twelfth year.  There is no way that Emily could have realized the enduring, and growing impact she made when the events of 9/11 inspired her to leave finance for education.  As I told the students on Monday – we will never forget 9/11, nor will we ever forget The Beech Hill School’s special connection to it.  Most of all, we continue to celebrate The Beech Hill School as an example of the power of good to prevail over evil.

Setting the Foundation

Unlike many, I got a very late start on the homeownership thing.  For many years, I either worked in boarding schools, where housing was provided as part of the compensation package or in apartments.  As such, when things would inevitably break or wear down, I was trained to contact the maintenance staff.  Meanwhile, many of my friends had ventured into homeownership, and they learned how to care for and maintain their homes.  Eventually, I became a homeowner, and while I do my best, I am not very skilled when it comes to home maintenance and construction in general.  I do, however, understand a basic concept of structural integrity and strength.  The foundation is critical in creating a sturdy structure, or as outlaw country musician David Allen Coe put it, “it’s not the beauty of the building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.” 

As we started this school year, we have spent significant time as a community discussing The Beech Hill School’s Foundations of Community.  The Foundations were created not long after the school was founded and serve as both the footing upon which our community functions and the blueprint which guides it forward.  Aspiration, Engagement, Perseverance, and Respect are the four principle ideas of The Foundations of Community , and throughout the week, new and old students, alike, examined the philosophical and practical ways that these ideas are the bedrock of our school.

As it was the first week of school, we intentionally spent extra time as a community discussing The Foundations.  Throughout the year, we will continue to help the students see the many ways in which The Foundations of Community impact our lives at BHS.  After a week of intentional work with The Foundations, I think it is safe to say that our community is very well grounded and ready to build!  

Making BHS "Work"

Tomorrow, we will celebrate Labor Day.  In the late 1800s, Americans came to understand the value of workers to the larger society.  Over a century later, we continue to mark the end of the summer with a federal holiday designated to honor and celebrate the workers that make our country  “work.”  As I have shared in the past, my father, now retired, was the president of a large local of the American Postal Workers Union.  So, labor was always honored and recognized in my house as I grew up.

As we celebrate Labor Day, I would like to extend my gratitude to all the individuals that work or have worked at The Beech Hill School.  We are successfully starting our twelfth year at BHS because of the many contributions, great and small, of the folks that work and have worked here, in the classroom and beyond it.

On Monday and Tuesday of this past week, our current faculty spent hours formally preparing for the coming year.  The degree of professionalism, positivity, and engagement was truly remarkable.  I have worked at several schools and have watched faculty dismiss the value of pre-sessional meetings.  This was not the case for this year’s faculty at BHS.  With these meetings fresh in my mind, I am so grateful for the many contributions of the faculty and staff that make BHS “work”.

Thank you to all the current and former BHS faculty and staff - Happy Labor Day to all!

Building Communication Skills

Both of my children are approaching pivotal points in their lives, as they are taking their own pathways down the college search process.  Along the way, each have had to communicate in writing and verbally through their processes.  In fact, just this week, while touring a college with a group of prospective families, the mother of another child made a comment to me about how impressed she was with the way that my children confidently communicated throughout the tour.  I was grateful that she noticed, however, I am not sharing this as a brag on my children.  I am quite proud of them, but it is very clear to me that they both gained their confidence and their ability to communicate in their time at The Beech Hill School.

At The Beech Hill School, students are required to communicate with their teachers, formally and informally, regularly.  They email their teachers when they have questions, they engage in daily conversations with their advisees, and they learn explicitly in Skills Class how to write thank you notes, to interview, and so much more.

Often, people outside The Beech Hill School community assume that attending such a small school would shelter our students and stunt their ability to function in larger settings.  What I have witnessed in my children, and what I have learned from our alumni is quite the opposite.  Rather, the small school community requires that all our students develop their voice, because at BHS there are no places to hide.  By the time a student departs, they have had a number of opportunities to develop their confidence through authentic practice.

While it has been a few years since my children graduated from BHS, I am so pleased to see that their experiences in our little school by the farm have helped them to develop into the young adults that they are today.

Change, Technology, and a New School Year

In late May of this year, Dr. Vivek Murthy released a report regarding adolescents and social media.  The report warned that “While social media may offer some benefits, there are ample indicators that social media can also pose a risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.”

At The Beech Hill School, we have taken this warning to heart, and began conversations with the faculty during our post-sessional meetings in June.  Throughout the summer, I have continued to spend time looking into the myriad connected issues of technology, social media, wellness, and the like.  In addition, I have been reviewing the School’s philosophies, policies, and practices regarding these domains.

In the coming school year, there will be somethings that we will be doing differently regarding technology use, social media, and screen time at BHS.  For example, at lunch, campus will be technology free, except for those students that opt to do schoolwork in a designated work room.  There will be other practices and policies that we will continue to evaluate throughout the year and we will look for input from all.

In the end, we should not simply ignore this warning.  Likewise, we know that our students will need to have a sense of how to appropriately use technology and social media as the head off to high school, which makes this all very challenging.  While change is never easy, I look forward to taking on this issue in the year to come, as we continue to help our students thrive.