Written By Tricia Cammerzell
As the Assistant Head of School for Advancement at a Kent School in Chestertown, MD my primary role is to attract new families who will enroll their children in our Preschool through Grade Eight School. Referrals are incredibly powerful motivators, not just in the school world but in any industry. One is much more likely to try the new restaurant in town if someone has gone before you and recommends it. Referrals help. However, I believe it takes an outside force to move a family from ‘vaguely familiar’ to ‘genuinely curious’ about Kent School. They have to be ready to learn.
The Choice Between Doing School and Loving School
If your child is simply doing school? Showing up, doing the work (or not), happy not to be called on to participate in class? Is your child flying under the radar their definition of success? If the answer is yes, then this is your sign that an outside force is letting you know that it’s time to become genuinely curious about the other school options available to you.
As parents, you should expect more and your children deserve more.
Why Should Parents Want to Learn More About Kent School?
Joy
There is more here. Kent School is more than a school. It is a joyful teaching and learning community. Students are happy to come to school each day and see friends and teachers of whom they grow fon. We play, we explore. We celebrate and respect each other. We know that the right combination of joy and rigor makes for the most successful classroom learning. Children feel safe and they are ready to do the work when they know a dose of joy will be included in a lesson. Joy inspires deeper learning.
Childhood
There is more here. We are so grateful that as a school community we agree that childhood is precious and fleeting. We are committed to preserving our students’ childhood for as long as possible. Our cell phone free campus and limited technology use support that. There will be time enough for children to become connected to the world through their screens. At Kent School we place much higher value on children connected to their world through hands-on exploration, building models, getting a little dirty on field learning experiences. The dirt will wash away but these moments of awe and wonder are indelible elements of childhood that we want to preserve.
Confidence
There is more here. Students develop a level of confidence when they are in the room with supportive teachers and peers who they can trust. Children at Kent School are encouraged to find their path to the spotlight. Whether it is through the arts, in the classroom, on the stage or on the athletics field, we take time to celebrate their accomplishment. Confidence is contagious. Children encourage one another. Working with their Fourth Grade mentors, our Kindergarten students have their first opportunity to speak in front of the whole school. Their confidence is encouraged and supported and it grows in front of an engaged and appreciative audience.
Critical Thinking
There is more here. Our teachers are committed to helping students solve problems and make appropriate choices. We believe in reading full novels and discussing character development, conflict, themes and resolution. We share ideas and thoughts. We discuss and dissenting points of view are welcome. Students are challenged to think fully, ask questions, seek answers which enables them to think more critically now and in the future. Our students also write thoughtful, reflective essays. We support creative writing as well as non-fiction writing. Thoughtful writing takes discipline and concentration. Our students are thinking critically about the words they add to a page.
As we face the inevitable impact of AI doing thinking for us, Kent School students will be able to lean on their critical thinking skills to inform good decisions and choices for their future well-being.
To learn about Kent School, contact us for a tour because there is so much more here.
