The Joy of Reading

As I mentioned to you, our parents, in my summer letter, the faculty, not unlike the students, had a summer reading assignment to complete. The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner challenges readers to consider the tools necessary to prepare young people for success in a rapidly changing world.

The first chapter in this research-based book describes “The New World of Work and the Seven Survival Skills” and asks many thought-provoking questions, including: “Are we teaching to our past or looking forward and preparing our students for their futures?”

As faculty and administrators prepared for the opening of the school year, we all divided into reading groups, so that we could share our opinions on the book. The group in which I participated focused on Wagner’s “Seven Survival Skills.”  I can tell you I left the group feeling more convinced than ever – if that’s possible  – that an independent school education, where we do not have to continuously gear our curriculum toward standardized testing, is the best educational approach to prepare today’s students for whatever tomorrow may bring.

Read it now and discuss it on October 2

Now here is your opportunity to discuss with our faculty the book, about which a professor of education at Stanford University has said, “Everyone concerned with American Education should read this book.”

Parent Ed: Book Discussion- The Global Achievement Gap
8:15 AM, Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Location: Alumni Room

So many books, so little time — Frank Zappa.

While many of us might agree with Frank Zappa on this point, I do want to encourage you to participate in the USM Community Book Group. Click here for more information on the upcoming discussion on Ann Patchett’s State of Wonder on Thursday, September 13th at 7:00 p.m., in the Stratton Upper School Library Reading Room. 

Welcome USM! Opening Ceremony Remarks

I thought I would start today by asking all of the students to take a good look around – this is your School family – all 1,084 of you! This is one of the largest USM student bodies in recent memory – you are large and strong and this is something to celebrate!  

Today, we also celebrate the opening of the 2012-2013 school year! I would like to take a minute to honor the leaders of our School – the Class of 2013 – our seniors! 

Perhaps most importantly, today is the day when we call attention to the fact that there are traditional guidelines for how we live in our USM community.  These guidelines are summarized so well in our Common Trust. It is so very important that we begin our school year with a reminder that we literally live by the Common Trust. In a few minutes you will hear from the Class of 2013 Prefects who will share with you personal stories that represent the basic tenet of the Common Trust we are emphasizing this year: fairness. 

I think it is one of the most difficult of the Common Trust tenets to understand. Too often we only think about whether others are being “fair” to us. This year, I ask you to recognize that you ultimately have a responsibility to be fair to others! This is certainly much harder to do. Instead of focusing inward on whether or not you are being treated fairly, let’s try to spend our energy on whether we are being fair to others – your friends, your siblings, your parents and, yes, your teachers. This fairness to others is of course the ultimate challenge of good character.

This year’s celebration of the Common Trust is extra special. To highlight the fact that we live by the rules of the Common Trust – respect, trust, honesty, fairness, and kindness – we have received a gift to the School by the Charles Wright Family. This gift was specifically selected to represent the importance and permanence of our Common Trust. 

(As the covering was removed…) The rock you see before you is placed at the main entrance of our School to remind you and everyone who enters that we live together as a community and our community behavior is guided by the Common Trust. 

A rock was selected because it represents the permanence of the Common Trust – the permanence of our community code of behavior.

Have a great year, live by our Common Trust, and enjoy every minute!