Opening the Door

…to new students
This week, parents will receive a mailing from me containing two copies of our recent direct mail piece with a post-it note asking them to pass the piece on to a friend, neighbor or colleague. (This piece has been mailed to prospective families in our area, encouraging them to attend our October 23 Open House.)

While it’s impossible to include all the wonderful aspects of a USM education in a print piece, I believe you will find the piece does contain much of what sets USM apart from other local schools. So please do pass this on. It’s interesting but, despite all the different types of advertising and promotion to which we are all incessantly exposed, word-of-mouth marketing remains the most effective.

…to educational excellence
Another way in which we ask school parents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty and staff to help keep USM strong is by supporting the School’s Annual Giving Program. Thanks to the support of donors from throughout the USM community, annual gifts have a critical impact on the School’s operating budget by opening the door to an outstanding educational experience for each student, attracting and retaining the best faculty, and providing financial aid support. Annual giving allows us to manage tuition increases and bring together qualified students with diverse experiences and backgrounds, building an inclusive school community. So when asked, please give generously.

The Common Trust Matters

My eye was caught recently by the definition of a person of character. The definition was included in an article that appeared in the Crossroads section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday, September 18. Richard Pieper, Sr. wrote an article entitled “Character development: Why the virtues matter.” (Pieper, chairman of a Milwaukee-based service/construction contractor, is the past president of the Character Education Partnership and one of the founding members of Wisconsin Character Education Partnership.)

He wrote, “A person of character does the right thing no matter the personal cost. The decisions of people of character are driven not by instant gratification but by communal good.”

The article focuses on what structures are in place in public school systems to help children develop character. Nevertheless, what stood out to me was how the definition reinforces the importance of our Common Trust.

The Common Trust is the basic philosophy of community behavior at University School and is expressed in this pledge: "We, the members of the University School community, accept the Common Trust: We agree to relate to one another and the School with respect, trust, honesty, fairness, and kindness."

At USM, living according to the Common Trust cultivates respect, responsibility, and caring in the classroom and beyond. Working in partnership with our parents, our educators play a vital role not only in developing better students, but in developing better people. Student assemblies in each division, discussion groups, and grade-level retreats and activities define and reinforce these tenets. Faculty, staff, and students extend courtesy and consideration to one another. Our students feel safe taking risks and facing new challenges in an atmosphere of support and mutual respect.

This year, our Common Trust school theme is Honesty. Read what our prefects had to say on this topic on Opening Day or watch the Opening Day video.