Headlines and Backstories

By Tricia Cammerzell, Assistant Head of School for Advancement

Culminating events get the headlines but the real work lies in the backstories. Every academic year at Kent School ends with students demonstrating their mastery of a subject area or participating in a full circle experience where students can showcase and share their knowledge. The work leading up to these events showcases our teachers’ continuing commitment to Mind, Brain and Education science (MBE) which is a key differentiator at Kent School.

Starting with some of our youngest learners, the Kindergarten room literally chirps to life when chicken eggs hatch after the incubation period. Over the course of their year Kindergarten students use animals and biomes of the world to build on their language arts and math skills. Their last unit focuses on oviparous animals or animals who lay eggs. The exploration covers dinosaurs, fish, ducks and of course, chickens. Chicken eggs arrive in May and the students use their Math skills to countdown the days until they hatch, science skills to understand incubation and the innate joy of discovery as they watch the chicks hatch.

Our Fourth Grade students participate in a unique and exhilarating culminating experience that serves as an exclamation point at the end of their yearlong study of Maryland history and Chesapeake Bay Studies. The spent three days and two nights at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Karen Noonan Center In Dorchester County. With individually made field guides in hand, the students set off for an immersive exploration of the complexities and wonders of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Students brought their knowledge of habitat, water quality, history and economic impact on the trip to which CBF staff responded by saying our students were “soul-affirming.” 

Our Fifth Grade hosted the entire school and visitors at their Colonial Living History Museum. They embodied colonial professions and personas through library research, map studies of the thirteen colonies in Science and literature and history in Humanities. They shared their political beliefs and the importance of their trade in their home colony. THEN, they demonstrated their mastery to the greater community as they marched on the Chestertown’s Tea Party Parade. All their hard work was worth it. Their float won First Prize!

Seventh-grade presented their culminating Watershed Watch Action Plan at the Holt Center at Sultana Education Foundation. The students researched, planned, and executed efforts to restore Radcliffe Creek. Guests remarked on the excellent preparedness and articulation our citizen scientists displayed.

The annual Eighth Grade Camping Trip is also a wonderful culminating experience for graduates. They set out on canoes and camped along the shores of Turners Creek and the Sassafras River. They enjoyed the perfect weather almost as much as the company of each other. Catching fish, both native and invasive, testing water quality and observing shoreline health are almost routine for our students by the time they are in eighth grade. Yet, this trip will be a forever memory that incorporated several years of their Chesapeake Bay Studies learning.

Our backstory, rooted in Mind, Brain and Education Science, is found in the many themes and teacher collaborations that contribute to the success of all of these culminating experiences, giving us the headlines. 

We are so fortunate to have creative enthusiastic teachers who can envision the possibilities available to them. At the intersection of Math, Language Arts, History, Science and Art there is a special joy in teaching and learning. We celebrate our teachers for providing this balance of joy and rigor for our students. We take pride in helping our students become the “soul-affirming” individuals who will bring passion and energy to their world. We are confident that we are developing lifelong learners who possess critical thinking and problem solving skills because they will be able to draw from their own cross-curricular learning experiences. Our students will think creatively because of the backstories, and remember fondly the headlines.

Beyond STEAM

It’s April and we are busily preparing for our Spring Showcase at Kent School. Until recently, we called this event the Spring Arts Showcase, with our students fine and performing arts accomplishments on display. The newly named Spring Showcase puts the spotlight on a wider array of student work.

In Education, the acronym STEAM refers to the convergence of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics in teaching. Teachers at Kent School have a strong history of practicing cross-curricular teaching AKA STEAM. This spring we are going beyond STEAM and that joyful educational journey will be on display for parents and guests at the Spring Showcase.

We know through our commitment to Mind, Brain and Education Science that presenting material in multiple modalities helps students retain their learning. Our teachers’ willingness to collaborate with each other for the benefit of students demonstrates their dedication to student success. When students feel they are known and seen, we know they learn more. Students have a chance to show their knowledge and talents in a variety of ways. The work they are doing in preparation for the Spring Showcase is also a wonderful example of the balance of joy and rigor in teaching and learning. Hard work is important but there must also be joy in learning, creating and discovering. 

In Lower School Science, students study the different biomes of the world learning about plants, animals, ecology and a bit about the economies in each of the areas. This year, our Third Grade students are immersed in the Rainforest and this immersion crosses several subject areas including Science, Research, Writing, Art, Public Speaking and Spanish. 

After learning about the features and characteristics of a Rainforest in Science, students selected a rainforest animal as their focus. During Library class they researched their animal using reference materials and collected notes. Those notes are becoming speeches which are being honed during their Language Arts periods. Incorporating technology, the speeches will be filmed and accessible for view via a unique QR Code. In Art, students are making a three dimensional sculpture of their selected animal. Even Spanish is interwoven into this project. Students have learned that the cacao bean is an essential part of South American rainforest habitat, the area economy, and the production of chocolate. During our Spring Showcase, students will be offering hot chocolate from their el camion de alimentos or Food Truck.

When the professionals talk about STEAM, Kent School students talk enthusiastically about hands-on learning, the joy of creating, and the wonder of discovery.

STARFEST: Research, Create, Learn, Stargaze

There are so many reasons to love our rural, riverside campus and recently we added another one to the list. On a cool evening in February, the new moon and resulting dark night sky provided the perfect backdrop for our inaugural STARFEST. STARFEST was born from the discovery that our First Grade students, led by Lower School Science Teacher Meghan Ferster and our Eighth Grade students, led by Middle School Science Teacher Heidi Usilton were both studying space and the solar system.

STARFEST is the culmination of weeks of classroom learning and associated projects for both grades. Students made models of the satellites, cross sections of stars, constellation books and more. Since collaboration comes naturally to our teachers, Ferster and Usilton decided to bring their classes together for an interactive, dynamic night of stargazing called STARFEST.

First Grade students partnered with Eighth Grade students to put their knowledge to work locating and identifying stars and constellations. At first, we were deterred by light cloud cover. However, the clouds dissipated and the stars revealed themselves. Students and their families were rewarded with views of Jupiter and Orion that they could view through telescopes, binoculars and with the naked eye. Students also incorporated technology for a more thorough understanding of exactly what they were viewing.

If you have been following Kent School on social media or reading our Osprey Outlook magazines, you know about our commitment to teacher professional development around Mind, Brain and Education science or MBE. MBE science affords our teachers the opportunity to teach the way students learn best and STARFEST is an excellent example of our MBE strategies in action. Students were given a voice to share their knowledge with other students. They applied their classroom learning in a real world situation. They were able to demonstrate their mastery of the subject by teaching other students about stars and constellations. By creating models, researching, writing and illustrating constellation books and using technology, lessons were presented in multiple modalities for a holistic teaching and learning.

STARFEST is an incredibly successful example of our commitment to student success and teaching excellence. Our students’ comments are proof of their deep learning and the importance of balancing joy and rigor for meaningful instruction.

“STARFEST was the BEST!”

“When I’m in Eighth Grade, I can’t wait to make a space model” “Yeah, they were so cool”

“Did you see Jupiter? It was HUGE!” “Yeah, and it’s so far away! It would be even bigger up close!”

“Did you see Orion at the end? It came out when the clouds left”

“Can we do that again?”

“I LOVE STARFEST”

My Year in Books 2023

by Nancy Mugele, Head of School

If you are looking for some holiday gifts or winter break reading selections, here is my 2023 Year of Books in review. 

There are so many reasons why being a reader is a lifelong gift you can give yourself. The more you read, the more your vocabulary grows, along with your ability to effectively communicate. Reading improves concentration and memory, enhances knowledge, and increases imagination and creativity. Reading can also improve sleep, reduce stress, and help you relax. 

The reason I read, however, is because of the healing power of books. Books feed our soul, transport us, make us laugh, help us feel empathy, and teach us about history, and each other. 

In 2023, I read 36 books in total, both on my Kindle and in print. This does not include all of the wonderful children’s books I read aloud to Kent School students in Little School, Kindergarten and First Grade! In 2024, I will have my own children’s book out in the world, but that is another story which I will share soon.

My Top Pick of the Year is from the historical fiction genre, Horse. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art, science, love, and race.

I also highly recommend Properties of Thirst, for its Shakespeare references, and themes of love, water, food, justice, revenge, sorrow, the environment, and history. Lessons in Chemistry, also focuses on food and how it rebuilds and reshapes the life of the main character. Tom Lake is for summer theater lovers and lovers of family secrets. The Personal Librarian is a portrayal of Belle da Costa Greene, JP Morgan’s assistant, a powerful figure in the New York art and rare book world of the early 20th Century, who helped build the Morgan Library collection. 

I also highly recommend Middle School Superpowers by Phyllis Fagell and The Emotional Lives of Teenagers by Lisa Damour. Both authors have been Kudner Leyon Visiting Writers in the past. Phyllis will join our community in February for the second time as our Kudner Leyon Visiting Writer. Details to follow soon. 

Now, what shall I read to start the New Year?!

Fiction

Winter Garden, Kristin Hannah

Daisy Jones and the Six, Taylor Jenkins Reid

Someone Else’s Shoes, Jojo Moyes

Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus

Hello Beautiful, Ann Napolitano

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

Cassandra in Reverse, Holly Smale

The Book Proposal, KJ Micciche

Tom Lake, Ann Patchett

The Whalebone Theatre, Joanna Quin

The Audrey Hepburn Estate, Brenda Janowitz

Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese

Historical Fiction

The Winemaker’s Wife, Kristin Harmel

Properties of Thirst, Marianne Wiggins

Horse, Geraldine Brooks

March, Geraldine Brooks

The Personal Librarian, Marie Benedict

The Tiffany Girls, Shelley Noble

First Ladies, Marie Benedict – almost finished!

Biography

Spare, Prince Harry

Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry

Poetry

At the Narrows, Meredith Davies Hadaway, Washington College Sophie Kerr Poet in Residence

Weaving Sunlight in a Scarlet Light, Joy Harjo

Kin – Rooted in Hope, Carole Boston Weatherford

12 Moons, Mary Oliver

Professional Non-Fiction

Short Changed: How Advanced Placement Cheats Students, Annie Abrams

Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust and Connection, No Matter the Distance, Erica Dhawan

Middle School Superpowers, Phyllis Fagell

Unearthing Joy, Ghouldy Mohamed

The Emotional Lives of Teenagers, Lisa Damour

Moments of Impact, Lisa Kay Solomon

Equally Shared Parenting, Marc and Amy Vachon

Working with Today’s Independent School Parents, Rob Evans and Michael Thompson

Deep Kindness, Houston Kraft

Growing Up in Public, Devorah Heitner, PhD

Kindness Will Save the World, James Crews

Savor the Moments

I watched Moana, Jr – the annual long standing traditional 8th Grade Musical – three times in the last two days. From dress rehearsal to the second performance, each time I noticed different show-stopping moments. I talked with many 8th Grade parents, and noticed that they all had eyes that had shed a tear or two at one or both of the evening performances. Today, on my porch with River fast asleep after a run, I cannot help but think about savoring the moments.

In the final three weeks of the academic year, 8th Grade parents, or parents of graduates at any level, feel many heart tugs – sadness for leaving a school their child has grown up in, joy of accomplishment, excitement and nervousness for what lies ahead. These all take an emotional toll. My simple advice – savor the moments.

Easier said than done as we all dash from school commitments to athletic tournaments to dance recitals to art exhibits in this crazy month of May. The calendar can be exhausting, but being truly present for these activities and not thinking ahead to the next one, is the secret to enjoyment. Literally, stop and take a breath.

I am rereading my friend Naomi Shihab Nye’s words today:

I have always loved the gaps, the spaces between things, as much as the things. I love staring, pondering, mulling, puttering. I love the times when someone or something is late — there’s that rich possibility of noticing more, in the meantime. There is so much we overlook, while the abundance around us continues to shimmer, on its own.

Shimmer, on its own, is such a great metaphor for our 8th Graders in Moana. Sparkle and shine they did, and it was so joyful. Every line, every note, every move – priceless. And, the in-between moments, as the cast and crew were getting ready for the next scene change, offered us a time to reflect on what we had just experienced and really take in the talent and the show’s message.

I want to see Moana again! Don’t tell any of the amazing faculty crew members and makers of magic, but I am going to reflect on whether we also need a Sunday matinee for next year. 

Stay tuned and savor the moments along the way!

My Year in Books

by Nancy Mugele, Head of School

There are so many reasons why being a reader is a lifelong gift you can give yourself. The more you read, the more your vocabulary grows, along with your ability to effectively communicate, verbally and in writing. Reading improves your concentration and memory, enhances your knowledge, and increases your imagination and creativity.

Reading can improve sleep. Researchers in 2021 found that reading “activates the frontal lobe, the limbic system, and it creates a relaxing cascade in our body.” It reduces stress and helps you relax. 

For me, however, the reason I read is because of the healing power of books. Let’s face it, the past few years have been difficult. We feel exhausted, disconnected from family and friends, worried, and anxious, but books feed our imagination and make us forget about our troubles for a few moments. Books transport us, make us laugh, make us feel empathy, and teach us about each other. 

In 2022, and for the first time, I recorded my reading. I read 33 books in total, both on my Kindle and in print. This does not include all of the wonderful children’s books I read aloud to Kent School students in Little School, Kindergarten and First Grade!  My list included 19 culturally diverse novels, many of which were historical fiction, 5 non-fiction books, 3 poetry collections, and 6 texts related to my work. What shall I read next?

2022 Year in Books

Fiction

The Postmistress of Paris, Meg Clayton

The Diamond Eye, Kate Quinn

My Year Abroad, Chang-rae Lee

French Braid, Anne Tyler

The Break, Katheren Vermetti

The Second Life of Mireille West, Amanda Skenadore

The Paris Apartment, Lucy Foley

Mercy Street, Jennifer Haigh

The Lioness, Chris Bojalian

Mad Honey, Jodi Picoult

A Particular Kind of Black Man, Tope Folarin (husband of Stephanie Folarin, Head of  Wye River Upper School)

The Magnificent Life of Marjorie Post, Allison Pateki

The Personal Librarian, Heather Terrell and Victoria Murray

Our Missing Hearts, Celeste Ng

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Reid

The Keeper of Happy Endings, Barbara Davis

The Winemaker’s Wife, Kristin Hamel

The Magnolia Palace, Fiona Davis

The Marriage Portrait, Maggie O’Farrell

Non Fiction

Finding Me, Viola Davis

See No Strangers, Valarie Kaur

Pluck, Donna Morrissey

A Woman of No Importance, Sonia Purnell

Eat Like a Human, Dr. Bill Schindler, Modern Stone Age Kitchen

Poetry Collections

Call Us What We Carry, Amanda Gorman

Everything Comes Next, Naomi Shihab Nye

Howdie Skelp, Paul Muldoon

Professional 

The Essential Conversation – What Parents and Teachers Can Learn From Each Other, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot

Atlas of the Heart, Brené Brown

Daring Greatly, Brené Brown

Community – The Structure of Belonging, Peter Block

Mastering Community – The Surprising Ways Coming Together Moves Us From Surviving to Thriving, Christine Porath

Hopes and Fears – Working with Today’s Independent School Parents, Robert Evans and Michael Thompson

Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with many titles and pages!

Seven Years Seven Words

By Nancy Mugele

Seven Years, Seven Words

This academic year marks my seventh at Kent School and I have recently received a few emails pointing out “the seven year itch.” You know, that popular belief, sometimes quoted as being psychological, that happiness in a marriage or long-term romantic relationship declines after seven years. The phrase has since expanded to indicate a decrease in happiness and satisfaction in any long term situation such as working a full-time job or owning a house. None of this applies to me and Kent School.

In fact, I am feeling incredibly renewed after a wonderful summer break, the first truly relaxing summer in several years. I feel rested and ready to steadfastly enter this new year with courage and confidence, as well as seven words which have guided my seven years hung neatly on a wall next to my office door. With gratitude to my daughter, Jenna, who created the beautiful script for the words, I love it!

I began my journey at Kent School with my favorite word in the English language, JOY. You can’t help but smile when you utter it. I felt it to my core when I visited Kent School during the interview process, and I still feel it every day when I greet students in Morning Carpool  or visit classrooms. JOY is ever present in the Kent School experience and is always the theme of the year!

I selected BELIEVE in my second year. One of its definitions is having faith – faith in yourself as learners and teachers, faith in the School and faith in our shared future. There are no limits to what we can achieve together if we BELIEVE, and no limits to what students can do with their innate talents if they BELIEVE. 

Personally, year two was harder for me than year one. There, I said it. Year one was most definitely like a honeymoon. In a year that was primarily marked by listening and learning, showing up with a smile, anywhere and everywhere, was highly valued. Community members wanted to meet me and share their unique story of what the School meant to them. It was joyful and incredibly informative. I could say “I don’t know about that yet” and feel confident that no one would judge my inexperience. I began to build trust just by being open and fully present. Year two, however, began with a noticeably different tone, and I was surprised. Expectations were high that I now knew everything there was to know about the school and when I didn’t it was met with annoyance. I did not know at the time I selected BELIEVE that it would also apply to me. I learned to BELIEVE in myself in year two.

In my third year, IMAGINE was the theme as we celebrated our 50th anniversary and began to dream about the School’s bright future. We launched Together We Soar, the 50th Anniversary Campaign for Kent School to raise significant funds for the Endowment and for capital projects including the Front Entrance and a renovation to the Deborah C. Williams Middle School to create a STEAM Innovation Center. While the Front Entrance is complete, we are still moving forward with the plans for the Middle School, curtailed slightly by COVID.

The year of GRATEFUL, which ended in a quick pivot to distance learning in the face of school closures due to COVID, was a time to be thankful for our School’s founders and the early donors to Together We Soar. We also learned together the things that we were grateful for with the help of Gratitude journals. My fourth year ended with gratitude for our faculty, who with little training took their classes online to finish the year in a strong way, despite the fact that we could not be together on campus. We were also GRATEFUL to our students and families for their support and flexibility.

We opened for in-person instruction in the fall of 2020, my fifth year,  with CONNECT at the forefront of our thinking. We knew that having classes in person was the best thing for our students’ learning. With 50 new students, many who had relocated to Chestertown from major cities and many from local schools which were closed, it was important to CONNECT with them, and their families. Parents could not be on campus due to our COVID protocols and thus felt disconnected. It was an important time to remember that humans are social creatures who thrive on relationships and daily interaction. 

In the second academic year marked by COVID, the second full year we were open in the face of local closings, and my sixth, I chose BELONG as the theme. To be seen, heard, valued, and loved, whether in a family, among friends or co-workers, or in a school community, we all have an inherent desire to belong, and to be an important part of something greater than ourselves. We also know from our work in mind, brain and education science that students who feel a deep sense of belonging perform better academically. With much of the world still disconnected, we focussed on knowing our students. 

All of this leads to my seventh word in my seventh year. I see it as a culmination of the journey we have been on for the past few years. COMMUNITY. Building a collective caring community begins with fostering belonging classrooms and what we started last year will be continued this year. The term COMMUNITY is used in many places, but this year we will dive deeply into what it means to be part of the Kent School COMMUNITY, as we work together to restore and strengthen it. COMMUNITY is the heartbeat of our school, and must be at the forefront of all that we do.

Students at Kent School know I keep Caramel Creams and Jolly Ranchers in my office. In order to get a treat, students must use the word of the year in a sentence. I am GRATEFUL for…I BELONG because.. I learn so much about students this way, and I am “itching” to welcome everyone back to school! 

Surrender to a Story

by Nancy Mugele

Banning books has been around for centuries. From differing political, religious, and cultural viewpoints and expression, the explanations for censorship are unlimited. This past week, a school board in Tennessee voted unanimously to ban Maus, a Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust, from being taught in its classrooms because the book contains material that board members said was inappropriate for students. The move was met with harsh criticism across the country, and caused the book to top the Amazon Bestseller list in the past few days.

Art Spiegelman, the author of Maus, said he was baffled by the decision. “This is disturbing imagery,” he said in an interview last Thursday, which was Holocaust Remembrance Day. “But you know what? It’s disturbing history.”

I have been inspired this week by Holocaust Survivor Helen Fagin, whose 104th birthday is today. Helen was born in Poland. During the Holocaust she and her sisters secured false papers for themselves, which kept them alive until liberation. Helen immigrated to the U.S., taught herself English, and eventually became a professor at the University of Miami. Her love of teaching began when she was 21. She was forced into Poland’s WWII ghetto, where getting caught reading anything forbidden by the Nazis meant hard labor or death. There she operated a clandestine school offering Jewish children an essential education denied to them by their captors.

Helen Fagin

“I soon came to feel that teaching these sensitive young souls Latin and mathematics was cheating them of something far more essential – what they needed wasn’t dry information, but hope, the kind that comes from being transported into a dream-world possibility.” Literature.

Of the 22 children she taught only 4 survived the Holocaust. Many years later she met one of her students in New York. The former student introduced Helen to her husband saying she was “the source of my hopes and my dreams in times of total deprivation and dehumanization.” 

Today, on Helen’s birthday, the Lunar New Year and the first day of Black History Month, we have so many stories to listen to, and to learn. And in Helen’s words: There are times when dreams sustain us more than facts. To read a book and surrender to a story is to keep our very humanity alive.

It is such an inspiring responsibility to instill a love of reading and books in students, and one that I am honored to be a part of at Kent School. Reading is so important, especially in stressful times, because stories transport us and sustain us. I encourage you to give yourself the gift of surrendering to a story with your child. Here are a few great selections all by Kate DiCamillo – Because of Winn Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux or The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.

Happy Reading and Happy Birthday Helen.

Small and Mighty Voices in Action

A generation ago, many thought that children should be seen and not heard. If we still adhered to that mantra we would miss some powerful voices for change. The Kent School community recently saw the power of a child’s voice in action when Second Grade student Lana recognized gender and racial disparity in a video presented by her Lower School Spanish teacher, Elizabeth Greenwell. 

Greenwell, using a new curriculum tool, shared an animated video with her students to learn a song in Spanish. After watching the video, Lana noted that there were two girls, one the only student of color, who were not singing at all while three males did. Lana did not see herself or children like her represented in the video and she said that to her teacher. Greenwell had previewed the video but did not make the same observation as her Second Grade student. Lana’s comments opened her teacher’s eyes.

Inspired by Lana’s specific request for her teacher to email the curriculum provider, Greenwell sent a strongly worded email. In it, Greenwell expressed her dismay that a national curriculum would promote both gender and racial stereotypes through “subtle cues in your videos. I hope it was an oversight and that you re-record your videos to include female and black voices as well. Until then, I will not be using the curriculum as I feel it is unfair to my students.” 

In response, Greenwell received a reply saying that the company appreciated her email and took her concerns seriously. Recently, Greenwell learned that the provider did publish a revised video which included updates that included a more diverse group of individuals. That is the power of a small and mighty voice in action.

Greenwell said, “As a teacher, I adjusted in September by not showing this video in class again. I now feel confident showing it, as it represents all of our students. We ALL belong at Kent School and I am so incredibly proud of Lana for holding me, a white teacher, and a national curriculum accountable, and making sure what we teach and what she learns is representative of who she is. She is a future world changer!”

The entire Kent School community is proud of Lana’s thoughtfulness and action. Head of School Nancy Mugele said, “Our school community knows the importance of BELONGING when it comes to student academic success and well-being. I am grateful that Lana has the strength of character to point out situations where there is a lack of BELONGING. Lana’s voice gives me hope that all students will be empowered to speak and act on behalf of themselves and others to foster BELONGING in all settings.”

Kent School, located in historic Chestertown, MD is an independent day school serving girls and boys from Preschool through Grade 8. The School’s mission is to guide our students in realizing their potential for academic, artistic, athletic, and moral excellence. Our school’s family-oriented, supportive, student-centered environment fosters the growth of honorable, responsible citizens for our country and our diverse world. For more information about Kent School visit www.kentschool.org or call 410-778-4100 ext. 110.

Optimize You

Optimize You

by Nancy Mugele, Head of School

Last week I attended a luncheon for Heads of School hosted by the Association of Maryland and DC Schools. Peter Baily, Executive Director, shared a story about an NPR report on a futuristic bed that could detect issues with your body or mind during sleep and correct them. If you are having a bad dream, the bed would play soothing music to help calm you. You get the idea. But, what struck me was the concept for this bed – it optimizes you.

Optimize, to make the best or most effective use of a situation, opportunity, or resource, is a strong action verb, and, while it is most often used in business, I cannot help but relate it to summer in schools. 

Engineer, statistician, professor, and management consultant William Deming, said: Optimization is when everyone is working to help the company. There is no doubt that, for educators, the summer is a wonderful stretch of time for renewal and re-energizing, but I have had so many thoughtful, strategic conversations this summer that will undoubtedly advance Kent School. The gift of time allows us to optimize our minds and hearts. 

I have been away twice with my family, and leaving for a vacation two days after Graduation was truly a chance for me to relax and recover from a stressful year leading a school in COVID. Yet, it has been conversations with individual faculty members and administrators regarding facilities, academic schedules, student testing, our Library collection, and current events that has recharged me. 

While many people think that teachers leave school in the summer and do not think about their classes, that could not be further from the truth. Educators use the summer to learn, as did four of our teachers who attended the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning Elementary Academy. Summer is for trying new skills and honing old skills as new teachers are gaining Google Educator Certification. Summer is for reading to prepare for workshops in late August. Summer is for optimizing yourself so that you can actively contribute to “helping the company.” Collectively, optimizing our summer benefits all of us and, most especially,  our students come September.