Not Just Learning and Living, but Learning to Live
By Matt Peer - Faculty
This afternoon as I walked from the Student Life office in Wilcox Hall to our home at the other end of Silver Lake, I realized just how perfect the weather in Georgia is in the fall. On this beautiful, autumn afternoon, I could hear coaches encouraging their teams at practice and I saw a group of students going for an afternoon run while others fished or played catch. As the bright sun shone on my face, I was also treated to the sweet smell of the Sara Lee bakery that wafted across the street. All around me I could see our students enjoying themselves, taking advantage of all Darlington has to offer after school. As I hurried up my driveway to see my family, I glanced at my watch and was stunned to realize that today was the first day of November.
People always tell me that once you have children time seems to fly by, and before you know it they are all grown up. I cannot believe that it has been 80 days since your children first arrived on campus, putting your trust in us to help them develop into mature adults who will learn with passion, act with integrity, and serve with respect. Just like the leaves on the trees that have changed from bright green to beautiful reds, yellows and oranges, your sons and daughters have changed as well, and it is our hope that when they return home for the Thanksgiving vacation in a little over two weeks, that you notice the incredible transformation that has taken place within them.
My goal with these communications is to help our residential families better understand how your sons and daughters are doing; to keep you informed on trends, patterns, and new pedagogy in residential schools; and to assure you that your decision to send your children to Darlington was indeed one of the best decisions you have ever made. If there is something you would like to hear more about, please feel free to contact me. Your feedback is very important to me as we navigate through this year together.
Like so many of our students this year, I too am new to Darlington. I am sure that the conversations they had with you in the evenings of those first few weeks were very similar to the ones I had with my wife each evening when I got home – questioning whether I fit in, if I would make friends, and even who I would sit with at breakfast the next day. Rest assured that in every boarding school across the country students were having those same nervous thoughts about fitting in, getting along with their roommate, and whether they could find the same level of success that they had in their last school. However, I have worked in boarding schools long enough to know that the first week is always the most intimidating and once you get through it, everything gets a little bit easier.
Conversations you and your children are having are no different than the ones all students have with their parents about school. They need and want someone to vent to about homework assignments, tests, friends, or playing time. Part of growing up is learning how to handle these adversities on your own. Encourage your children to seek out their teachers and coaches when they have questions or concerns and to use their academic advisor or Head of House when they need assistance. As we near the end of the first semester, your children should know that there is a full support system in place to help them succeed in all facets of school life and should be encouraged to use all of the school’s assets in the Student Life Office to help them.
And rest assured that there are plenty of exciting activities and opportunities available that will keep your children happy and entertained on the weekends. Weekends at boarding schools are sometimes just as hectic as the academic week, but MUCH more fun. Football games; dances; lock-ins; trips to the movies, mall, grocery store, and attractions in nearby cities; paintball and rock climbing; laundry; brunch; and catching up on sleep leave very little time for students to dwell on the difficulties of the academic week. During the first few weeks of the year, I was able to enjoy my first Back to School Bash, home football game, and student-directed performance. I have seen school and individual house spirit at sporting events and food eating competitions. I have even seen the incredible power a community can have when it wants to see change. For example, Darlington put forth a full, school-wide effort to help its neighbors at McHenry Primary School win the Pepsi Refresh Challenge, which funded a new, handicap-accessible playground.
Whether new to Darlington or not, each year brings with it a fresh start, a new beginning. With the first few months behind us, I hope your children have been able to adjust to their new life here at Darlington. With new classes, teachers, new house parents, and new friends, it is hard to see an end in sight. The longest and hardest stretch at any school is the time from the start of the year until fall break. Congratulations, you and your children have made it through the most tedious part of the school year! This time is now behind us and our next vacation is only weeks away. It is my hope that, like me, your children have found people to eat with at meals, have made friends, and are beginning to share the details of their time away at school with you. My desire is that they have found ways to be successful in the classroom, are making friendships that will last a lifetime, and that their dorm rooms seem a little more like “home.”
Our goal at Darlington is not just to teach your children how to learn or how to live, but to give them the tools that they need to learn to live a positive, healthy, and successful life. If there is anything that I can do to help your children in their transition to Darlington or assist them as they work toward reaching their full potential both in and out of the classroom, please let me know. I look forward to sharing this journey with you and your children.
