We are incredibly fortunate to have such a beautiful campus at The Beech Hill School. Most mornings, as I walk from my car to the front door, I try to linger for a second or two to take in its natural beauty. Soon, however, my day begins, and I tend to see things like my computer screen or a piece of paper and my mind moves from nature’s splendor to the myriad things that are happening at BHS. Those moments in the morning, however, help to reset my mind and spirit each day.
Likewise, we ask the students to take a moment to pause and set their daily intention when we gather every morning for community. This year, with few exceptions, we have gathered for community on The Knoll. In the quiet that surrounds us during our moment of intention, it is not uncommon to hear the cry of a hawk, the moan of a cow, or the wind in the trees. Our morning communion in our serene surroundings helps the entire community to start the day well.
On Friday, we traveled to Bald Peak for a longer sojourn in nature, our annual mountain day trek. Mountain Day is the oldest tradition at The Beech Hill School, and one that I hope will live well beyond my time at BHS. Mountain Day provides our students an opportunity to physically, accomplish a task – climb a mountain – and to spend time with the community in the beauty of New England. While I scurried about taking pictures for the school’s social media outlets, the students were noticeably untethered from electronics and connected to their surroundings and one another.
Henry David Thoreau wrote that he “took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” Watching our kids as they sat on the exposed peak of Bald Knob, it was easy to see that this walk in the woods had elevated them as well. As they enjoyed one another’s company and gazed over Lake Winnipesaukee and beyond, one could see the power of time in nature and the great value of our cherished Mountain Day tradition.