I think we can all agree that every parent wants the best for their children. The tricky part of this wish is determining just what is the best course for our children to follow. I know Amy and I had long conversations about which paths to take for our son Tucker and our daughter Madelyn.
A fellow headmaster shared an article with me in which Tony Wagner, Co-Director of the Change Leadership Group of Harvard University, discusses what skills our children need for the future.
These are seven areas he discusses:
1. Critical thinking and problem-solving
2. Collaboration across networks and leading by influence
3. Agility and adaptability
4. Initiative and entrepreneurialism
5. Effective oral and written communication
6. Accessing and analyzing information
7. Curiosity and imagination
As I informally observe our classrooms here at Sumner Academy, I see each and every one of the skills listed in action in our classrooms PK – 8th grade! Our teachers are outstanding at taking each child where they are in many different areas and nurturing growth in each. It seems to me Sumner Academy was built on these seven skills and has been cultivating them for forty years.
At Back to School Night, I thanked each parent for the sacrifices they are making by sending their children to our school. I know it is a financial struggle for many. The investment in education however, cannot be taken away from you. Other investments fluctuate with market influences and outside forces. A Sumner academy graduation diploma from 8th grade is an investment which will last a lifetime.
Thank you for entrusting your children to us each and every day.
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