One of the things I knew would be part of moving to China was learning about a new culture. Of course, knowing that intellectually and actually experiencing it are two very different things. Over these first few months in Beijing, I have found myself asking a lot of questions, trying new foods, learning new traditions,... Continue Reading →
Building the Person
Last week, we hosted two College Counseling Town Halls for parents at BCIS. One was specifically for our Grade 12 families, who are very much in the middle of the university application process right now, and the other was for families in Grades 7 through 11, some of whom have children for whom university probably... Continue Reading →
What Does Challenging and Joyful Learning Really Look Like?
It hasn’t been easy, but over the course of these first few weeks at BCIS I have been spending as much time as I can getting into classrooms and talking with students. Part of that is simply because I am new and trying to learn as much as I can about the school, but I... Continue Reading →
Completing the Puzzle: Reflections on Lincoln’s IBCP Accreditation
This week, I saw some news from Lincoln School that made me smile. Lincoln officially announced its authorization to offer the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP), completing the continuum of IB programs available to students at the school. The authorization itself actually came through shortly before I left Lincoln at the end of last school year,... Continue Reading →
Beginning with Intention
I have a pretty consistent morning routine. I wake up, make my coffee, and usually start the day with a quick word puzzle. I tell myself that the puzzle gets my brain working before I really have to think about anything important, though honestly I also just enjoy doing it. After that, I take a... Continue Reading →
What Makes a New School Feel Like Home?
At the beginning of any school year, there is a familiar mix of excitement and uncertainty. There are new classrooms, new teachers, new routines, and new relationships to build. For some in our community, this year also brings a new country, a new culture, and many unfamiliar faces. All of these beginnings invite an important... Continue Reading →
Finding Our Way
Almost thirty years ago, I found myself sitting in a canoe, completely lost in the Florida Everglades. I had been working in education for all of three months. In fact, I wasn't even sure education was going to be my career. I had taken a job as a substitute teacher at an independent school in... Continue Reading →
Graduation Words
I’ve thought a lot about what I want to say to the Class of 26 as we walk together out of graduation today. As you know, this is my last year as Principal at Lincoln School, so in many ways I feel I’m graduating with you. But today isn’t about me, it’s about you, and... Continue Reading →
Senior Breakfast
Each year, one of my favorite traditions at Lincoln School is our Senior Breakfast. There is nothing especially complicated about it. We gather early in the morning in a conference room at the local country club. The seniors arrive dressed a little more formally than usual. Students and teachers take photographs. There is breakfast, conversation,... Continue Reading →
Keep Building
As I sit down to write this final yearbook message as principal of Lincoln School, I find myself reflecting on the journey we have shared over the past eleven years. Lincoln has been part of this community for nearly eighty years, and long before I arrived, it was already a great school with a proud... Continue Reading →
