There’s nothing that more officially marks the beginning of
summer than the sound of little feet around the house – all day long! I envy the excitement our students feel of
having seemingly endless days spread out ahead, with perhaps a few summer
milestone travel plans or special events along the way.
As incoming Head, I’m looking forward to those summer days
with great anticipation, too. I feel so
fortunate to have met with many of you, hearing both your concerns and your
dreams. Those conversations will guide
much of our work this summer and in the coming school year. As promised, we are
beginning an extensive review of our curriculum, documenting our current
content and goals and benchmarking those to other schools in the area and the nation. By late summer, we expect to have an outside
review of next year’s curriculum, conducted by a well-qualified educator,
skilled in both curriculum and learning differences. But we won’t stop there. I believe that great schools are constantly
challenging themselves to do better, learn more, and set the bar higher. I have an intense personal interest in
emerging knowledge about how we learn, and what those findings mean to every one
of us who, in fact, ALL learn differently.
We know that great learning is influenced by so many factors beyond the
classroom – nutrition, exercise, multi-sensory stimulation, technology – and we
will be looking for ways to apply new knowledge to teaching and learning with
the whole child in mind.
Just as summer is a time of renewal, and excitement, and fun for our children, it will be the same for Trident (yes, even the fun!) True, we have great challenge ahead. But we have even greater opportunity. The community that will open Trident in the fall – the faculty, students, parents, and leadership - are united in the belief that it is not our goal to survive, but rather to THRIVE. The past is behind us, the tools are in place. Summer days are looming with time for thoughtful, thorough exploration and work. Just like our students – I can’t wait!
Check in throughout
the summer as I blog about what’s on my mind for the future of Trident – or
what’s on yours. Feel free to contact me
at sclerici@tridentacademy.com.
