Head of School

Opening Days

Dear parents,
 
At our all-school opening assembly this week, we thanked those who worked all summer to ensure classrooms and campus were ready for our return, as well as our food service staff who feed us all year. It is important that our students offer respect and appreciation to all members of Tower Hill School, including individuals who take great pride in their work on our grounds crew and in the dining hall. At Tower Hill, we are one community. 
 
Upper School Student Government Association President Rory Britt welcomed us all and spoke about our word for the year: COURAGE. Students and faculty from each division shared their own thoughts on what courage means to them (watch a video from the livestream on our Facebook page). Earlier in the week, Tower Hill faculty shared similarly: 

  • Persistence against awful odds
  • Getting out of your comfort zone to do something you are scared of doing
  • Being able to admit when you are wrong
  • Trying new things and learning from the results
  • Taking action to do the right thing
  • Believing so strongly that you are willing to stand up for what you believe
  • Being who you are
  • Being willing to fail
  • Having a can-do attitude
  • Taking a risk even when the chances for success are slim
  • Conquering or facing a fear
There are daily examples of courage, both big and small, from which our children can learn. I decided to begin the year with a kinesthetic demonstration of courage by attempting to hoola-hoop (with a broken finger!) at our all-school opening assembly. As a young girl, I was always envious of my friends who could hoola-hoop so well. Try as I might, the hoop would immediately fall around my ankles. So... Mrs. Speers began the school year by hoola-hooping, and I was honest with our students in sharing that I was indeed a bit nervous to do so in front of the whole school! 
 
However, there are much larger demonstrations of courage that deserve recognition. We observed a moment of silence as a school at our opening assembly to honor the people of Houston whose courage and resilience is nothing short of extraordinary, as they recover from the ravages of the recent hurricane. We considered others who are bracing for the anticipated damage of Irma. Last week, Tower Hill teams collected items for families in Houston; we will keep you apprised of other ways the Tower Hill community can support those whose courage is extraordinary in the face of adversity. 
 
It has been a great first week back! Thank you for all you are doing to help your children get back to the routines of the school year. Please join us in making conversations about courage a part of your routine. 
 
Sincerely,
Bessie
Back