The Derryfield School

Championing Education

6/3/2017

Welcome faculty, staff, students, parents, and friends. On Awards Day, we celebrate learning and achievement. We celebrate those students who have accomplished a lot in many fields—academic learning, the arts, service learning, and athletics. I was remembering that my grandfather, whom my sister and brothers and I called “Poppy,” loved Awards Day at our school....

Discovering a Personal Pathway

2/17/2017

Leading lives of passion and purpose. We developed that vision statement and the strategic plan in a process that involved many students, faculty, parents, and alumni. A vision statement is aspirational; an aim that a school aspires to but not necessarily attains for every graduate. What a worthy aim it is that each graduate leads a life of passion and purpose....

The Concept of "Enough"

12/14/2016

The Harvard Medical School’s Healthbeat newsletter speaks to the concept of gratitude: “The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness...”

The Importance of Civic Involvement

11/18/2016

Last week, the long presidential campaign, unlike any I’ve seen in my lifetime, concluded with an unexpected result. Every major event provides an opportunity for us to reflect on our values. Values are critical to our own well being and to the entire community. Today, I hope to help you think about the life you want to lead, and to exhort you to get involved politically and civically....

Building on the Best of What Works

10/15/2016

The 2016-17 school year is a year of inquiry into 21st century learning for our faculty. This year, we will study and practice 21st century skills and teaching methodology. Next year, we will study 21st century schedule and program—the full-day experience for a student....