The Quiet Power of Narrative Nonfiction
By Liz Gray,
Middle School Head; Grade 7 Social Studies Teacher | March 08, 2024
Last week, I attended the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) conference in St. Louis (my hometown!), where the theme was “thrive.” Speakers, presenters, and attendees like me found renewed joy and inspiration in the work we do in independent schools. The most profound lessons from this great conference came from a talk by a […]
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Where Art Thou, Mr. Largay? Teaching Shakespeare!
By Brendan Largay,
Head of School | March 01, 2024
Over the summer, Jen James, my assistant and masterful keeper of my calendar, asked me: “So, are you planning on teaching Shakespeare again this year?” As with most questions Jen poses, she already knew the answer. In this case, it was a resounding “yes!” Now, in my twenty-fifth year in independent schools, I have taught […]
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Accountability: A Key Ingredient for Growth, Learning
By Connie Yepez,
Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging | February 16, 2024
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou As human beings, we are fallible; we are imperfect. At some point, we will all make mistakes that hurt others or that we wish we could take back. Our core values of honesty and responsibility are […]
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STEAM Learning: A Wonderfully Messy Process
By Annie Fuerst,
Director of Innovation | February 09, 2024
Downstairs from my office in the Barn, what looks like a mess is growing out from the door of our IMPACT Lab. Students sit and work between piles of cardboard and yarn. They reach in all directions for haphazardly folded papers covered in mysterious scribbles. The floor is now an abstract canvas, sectioned off with […]
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The Big Win of Our Friday Night Tradition
By John O'Neill,
Director of Athletics | February 02, 2024
The Barn gym may be empty as I write this, yet I can see and hear the excitement—”Let’s GO, BDS!” is ringing out, flashes of blue and gold are everywhere, players race back and forth between the lines, and familiar faces surround the court, chatting, laughing, and cheering. Tonight, our varsity basketball teams take the […]
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The Value of a Different Perspective
By Brendan Largay,
Head of School | January 26, 2024
I attended the Association of Independent Schools in New England (AISNE) heads’ retreat and winter board meeting in Portsmouth, NH, this week. It was inspiring, reinvigorating, and a worthwhile pause and reflection during another busy school year. This spring, after two terms over six years, I will step off of AISNE’s board, where I serve […]
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