What are your students like?
I imagine that this is one of the big things prospective students and parents want to know as they are considering different schools. After all, the vast majority of a child’s day – no matter their age – is spent at school and/or participating in school-related activities. So as a parent, you probably want to know what kind of students your son or daughter will be spending time with.
Will they make friends easily here?
Will their classmates be positive influences in their lives?
And most importantly…
Will they be happy?
Well, after 11 years and nearly three months at Darlington School, I can tell you, firsthand, that our students are kind, thoughtful, respectful, funny, resourceful, talented, smart, hard-working, honorable, supportive, passionate, service-oriented, appreciative, curious, entertaining and so much more. And while that is truly the way I feel, I am also the director of communications so, of course, I would have a litany of positive attributes to share with you.
So instead of continuing on with my list, which I totally could, I thought it would be even better to share four recent stories that illustrate the kind of students we have here at Darlington. (Keep in mind, we have only been back in school for three short days!)
1. On the first day of school, the senior class participated in a day-long College Boot Camp program organized by our incredible college guidance staff. They met with college advisers, had a Q&A with a panel of respected college admissions professionals, and attended small-group sessions based on topics they were interested in like athletic recruiting, financial aid, and more. The next day, Dean of College Guidance Sam Moss (’63) brought four young men to my office. These four seniors had stopped by just to thank Mr. Moss for College Boot Camp! (Keep in mind that every senior also had to write a draft of their college essay over summer break and turn it in at Boot Camp … and even still, they were thankful!) That’s one reason I love our students; the vast majority of them make the most of every single experience they are afforded here at Darlington, and they are truly gracious.
2. The same day, students in grades 9-11 had a full day of seminars and time to get to know their advisers and the other students in their advisory groups. As I was browsing the @DarlingtonTiger Twitter feed, a post caught my eye. Math teacher Josh Hembree (@JnTripleAs) had shared a photo of three young men and underneath it said, “Kudos to these 3 gentlemen for giving up their seats for some young ladies to sit. #servewithrespect” I retweeted the post and when I saw Mr. Hembree later that day, I asked him about it. He shared that the student body had gathered in the chapel for part of their program. When one of the boys saw some girls standing with nowhere to sit, he tapped his friends and they got up to offer them their seats. How gentlemanly and without even being asked!
3. This morning during Opening Convocation, senior Hunter Manning addressed the student body, faculty, staff, parents and friends. Now, Hunter is the president of our student-run Honor Council, which is a very important role, particularly during this very special year. The 2015-16 school year actually marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of our student-created Honor Code, so this year’s Convocation featured students of all ages speaking about what it means to put “Honor Above Everything.” All of the student speakers were thoughtful and articulate in their remarks, but it was something Hunter said that stuck with me.
“Whether you lose a friendship, fail a test, lose a ballgame, or later in life lose a job, you and I, just as our predecessors were, are held to a standard of honor by this school. Value this standard. It makes Darlington School special … I hope that you all realize the value of honor; the community of trust it creates, and the positive difference honor will make for each of us for the rest of our lives. I hope that the standard of honor at Darlington School that we are called to uphold becomes a lifestyle for you like Darlington students before you. If it does, Darlington will be a more meaningful place to you and me.”
4. The last-but-most-certainly-not-least moment also happened during Convocation. When Head of School Brent Bell mentioned our dedicated facilities team in his remarks and the hard work they do year-round to keep everything on campus clean, beautiful and in working order, everyone of course clapped as a sign of appreciation. But then a really cool thing happened. A small group of our senior boys stood up, which promptly led to a standing ovation from the crowd of more than 1,000 students, faculty, staff and parents. I was so proud that I could feel my eyes welling up with tears (luckily, I held it together). I can’t even imagine how special this student-led act of gratitude was for our facilities crew. Bravo, boys! Way to lead.
So you see, when people ask us what kind of students we have here at Darlington, our response is pretty simple.
We have great kids.
And we mean it.
Our students make this school the special learning community that it is, and I am very proud to work here. (And remember, these are just my experiences from the last three days. I’m sure if you asked another teacher, staff member or student, you’d get four more totally-different-but-equally-impactful stories. In fact, if you're reading this and you have one, feel free to share it in the comment section below!)
It has been a great start to the school year thanks to my colleagues and the students we are all here to support. If the rest of the year is anything like these first three days, it’s sure to be a good one!
To learn more about Darlington School and see whether we might be the right fit for you and your family, simply contact the Admission Office at admission@darlingtonschool.org. You can also go to www.darlingtonschool.org/campusvisit to schedule a student-led campus tour (and have the opportunity to meet some of our wonderful students for yourself!)
