Torch - Spring/Summer 2020

Message from the Heads of Schools

How to Make a Difference in the World Step One: Raise Girls to be Active Agents in Their Lives

By Laura Franks, Lindsay Norberg, Jennifer Patterson and Kate White

M uch of what we value in life cannot be quantified. A loving family, friends who have our backs, a sense of belonging, confidence in our own abilities, attachment to a greater purpose and so many other aspirations are difficult to measure, but keenly felt in their absence. Studies show that measurable items like income, material goods or formal accolades play only a small role in our life satisfaction. Those aspects most difficult to measure are also those most significant to our happiness and wellbeing. The same is true in education. Some elements of learning and development are easier to quantify than others—through assignment grades and test results. Academic scores have an

important role to play in school, but grades are not the measure of a young person’s character, resilience or enthusiasm for living well. You’ll notice, for example, that our school values are intangibles. Integrity, inquiry, compassion and courage can be practised, seen and felt. They certainly connect us to ourselves and one another. When we’re at our best, they guide our thinking and inform our decisions. But they do not express themselves well in percentages and letter grades. This is also the case for the development of student agency, which is the ability and inclination to take action. Students who believe they have the power to positively influence their lives and the world

From left: Head of Boarding Laura Franks, Head of Senior School Lindsay Norberg, Head of Middle School Jennifer Patterson and Head of Junior School Kate White.

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