New Year, New School? 3 Touchpoints of an Independent Education

Besides being the time for New Year's resolutions and new starts of all kinds, January is also the month for independent school open houses on Boston's North Shore. Every year at the end of January, Shore stages its own Winter Open House.

Staging is the right word to use. At all independent school open house events, teachers, students, and parents are asked to be in just the right position to share, display, and convey the essence of their community.

But at Shore's Winter Open House, you will likely witness something more: teachers who genuinely relish this unique opportunity to share the craft they love: educating children.

Teachers eagerly show off their curriculum, debate philosophy, and, especially, relate stories about how their passions for teaching and subject matter are connected to the experiences they offer to children every day. They talk about learning from their students, about evolving new approaches, about making the learning personal.

At the same time, they make clear that they are interweaving expectations, skills, habits, and attitudes of learning. They are always up on their facts. Their enthusiasm is naturally high. But the magic is in their tone: loving, respectful, genuine.

Teachers innately have this capacity to connect with students, or they are not long lived. Independent schools extend only one-year work contracts to faculty, and yet the average teacher longevity at Shore is seventeen years. That essential aptitude for connecting is what we most want for our children: to be understood and valued in the classroom naturally leads to good learning.

We want you to know that our teachers are masters at their craft, perpetual learners, and deeply invested in the children they teach. And these are not merely things we claim to be true: these are what our parents and outside observers tell us again and again, year after year, when they experience the energy of our classrooms and the outcomes with their children.

With new young charges arriving every fall, Shore faculty view the world through a naturally optimistic lens. The school pushes (and funds) its teachers to grow, innovate, travel, and collaborate. We need them at their best, and they deliver with extraordinary skill and care.

Even outside their classroom interactions, our teachers demonstrate their commitment to their craft. They sit on peer evaluation teams and the curriculum committees. They coach athletes and groups of advisees. Some guide the energetic good intentions of junior and senior student senators and sing a cappella alongside their students. Many mentor older students in Independent Study projects, and one or two coach the math team. Nearly everyone chaperones field trips or overnight camping experiences, and all convene for grade level meetings to share and strategize about best practices for individual students. Children love to see their teachers in so many roles; faculty see new dimensions in their students, too; for both, the classroom experience is enhanced.

It's no surprise, then, that the most important touchpoints at any open house begin and end with teachers.

 Touchpoint #1: Take advantage of the open house’s access to teachers.

Meeting teachers at an open house allows the flow of conversation to be as fleeting or deep as you would like. Different from a class day visit (which has its own merits), a weekend open house gives you the flexibility to probe, to linger, to overhear the questions of and responses to others, and to imagine your child interacting with these teachers everyday. In what other context can you spend sufficient time learning about the adults who are so crucial to your children’s academic and personal well-being? Listen for their passion and creativity. Ask them why they like to teach. While our children hear from them each day, plumb how they connect with parents. In examining an independent school, you will discover a vast pride in communication standards. Educating students is a shared priority for Shore’s community of both teachers and families.

Touchpoint #2: Come prepared.

Preparing for an open house could mean combing through the website, reading admissions literature, finally talking to that co-worker whose son attends already. You could evolve a formal list of questions about writing curriculums and 21st century standards. But being prepared need not require either of those investments. An intentionality around Shore need not be well-evolved at all. Open houses invite you to walk on campus as a visitor with deep interest or as a casual look-see. The only preparation you need is to reflect on your child and on your aspirations for your child’s ideal academic experience. Such reflection will give you context for asking questions that are personal to your child’s school experience and for weighing what you see.  

Touchpoint #3: Do everything.

Open House schedules are full of variety and activity. Teachers and classrooms are always priorities, but take advantage of as many different dimensions as possible. Lingering in the Innovation Lab might be fascinating, but don’t let it keep you from the open musical rehearsal in the Theatre. Meeting an administrative division head feels important, but also tap into the perspectives of current parents on hand for conversation. Open houses are designed to be kid-friendly, too. Try to balance your parental agenda with explorations for your child. From music to the science labs to pure play in the Pre-K loft, enjoy everything you can squeeze in. Each interaction will help your consideration of the best choice for your child.

Open houses are welcoming, lively, and fun. They are occasions for discovery. Come visit with Shore teachers; think about the individual nature of your student, and enjoy every minute of an hour (or two!) at Shore.

When: 
Sunday, January 24, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.
Prices: 
Free
Phone: 
978-927-1700
Appleton Farms in Ipswich Massachusetts offers farm-based Summer Programs for kids ages 5-15

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Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
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Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

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9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Sing & Dance with the Music Man

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10:00 am to 10:45 am

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
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Topsfield HomeGrown Market

Come to Topsfield Massachusetts Common for a homegrown market on the Wednesdays through July
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Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate Autumn and Halloween! Long Hill is excited to bring back our annual Halloween on the Hill event! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform the Long Hill gardens into a...
5:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Stargazing at Mendel Observatory

Mendel Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night
The Observatory, with the support of volunteers from the North Shore Amateur Astronomy Club, hosts public stargazing every Wednesday night (weather permitting) starting at dusk or 7:30 pm, whichever is later.  When special astronomical events of interest occur (total lunar eclipses, etc.) the Obs
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Thursday, October 23

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Kids will enjoy this tour of the Halibut Point State Park and Quarry with a focus on its stone-cutting history!
Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!
7:00 am to 6:00 pm

Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit at Pingree School

Pingree School in Hmailton Massachusetts hosts their annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture exhibit each Fall. Sculpture: Phoenix by Robin Tost.
Pingree School hosts the 16th annual Flying Horse Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit on their campus in South Hamilton, Massachusetts .
8:00 am to 6:00 pm

Salem Witch Hunt Walking Tour

Learn about the true reality of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Trials Salem Massachusetts on a self guided walking tour with Essex Heritage
This self-guided walking tour is designed to help explain the true history behind the Salem Witch Trials. After more than three centuries of storytelling through countless books, movies, and television shows, the line between historical fact and dramatic fiction has become increasingly blurred....
9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Crescent Farm Corn Maze

Crescent Farm corn maze in Haverhill Massachusetts
Imagine the biggest puzzle you’ve ever seen. Now imagine a day in the sunshine with your friends or family. Now add an adventure that takes teamwork and memory skills. All these things and more can be found at Crescent Farms Corn Maze. Crescent Farm Corn Maze trails cut into 9 acres of corn. Inside...
9:00 am to 9:00 pm

Haunted Happenings Marketplace

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10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Saugus Iron Works House Tours

Free Ranger guided tours of the Saugus Iron Works House in Massachusetts
Join National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a 30-minute tour of The Iron Works House.
11:00 am

Saugus Iron Works Tours

Free Ranger guided tours at Saugus Iron Works Colonial Industrial Site in Massachusetts
Join the National Park staff at Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site for a tour of the colonial industrial site. On select days, you may be able to stick around and witness pop-up molten iron pour, blacksmithing, waterwheel demonstrations, and take part in hands-on river stewardship activities.
2:00 pm

Halloween on the Hill

The Trustees host a celebration of Autumn and Halloween at Long Hill Sedgewick Gardens in Beverly Massachusetts
The Trustees of Reservations invite you to tour the gardens at Long Hill Gardens in Beverly, Massachusetts to celebrate Autumn and Halloween! Long Hill is excited to bring back our annual Halloween on the Hill event! Come explore our beautiful property as we transform the Long Hill gardens into a...
5:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Friday, October 24

Saugus Iron Works Park Grounds & Estuary Walk

Take a hike along the Saugus River Estuary ande explore the Saugus Iron Works Park grounds in Massachusetts
Learn about the natural world in Saugus while ecploring the park ground ast the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Massachusetts.
7:00 am to 7:00 pm