As Head of School at a unique school like BHS, I have the great privilege to be directly involved in many things that my peers at other schools do not. This year, among other responsibilities, I get to teach an 8th Grade history class that is called Our Modern World. The general premise of the class is that students will survey the history of the 20th Century, using critical thinking skills to identify, compare, and contrast the modern world to the recent past. While I have always believed deeply that knowledge of history is critical for progress in the world, my work this year as a teacher of this class has solidified this notion.

Just before the 8th Graders left for March Break, they were assessed on their understanding of the 1920’s and the onset of the Great Depression. Part of this assessment involved a test, and one of the questions on this test required the students to demonstrate understanding of a bank run.

Now, I have not had a chance to see my students in almost ten days, as we have been on break, but I am hopeful that at least one of them was paying attention to the news and connected what we were studying to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank. While I am not excited about the disruption to the banking industry or the ways that this bank run may negatively impact the economy, it exemplifies why our students are taught history.

To be sure, the study of social studies is not of greater significance or consequence than other disciplines. In fact, a Beech Hill School education should provide our students a broad base of knowledge combined with the ability to think critically and make morally sound decisions. As such, this is one important way to fulfill our general vision to develop intellectually curious and capable young adults who will become contributing citizens and informed decision-makers.