Both of my children are approaching pivotal points in their lives, as they are taking their own pathways down the college search process. Along the way, each have had to communicate in writing and verbally through their processes. In fact, just this week, while touring a college with a group of prospective families, the mother of another child made a comment to me about how impressed she was with the way that my children confidently communicated throughout the tour. I was grateful that she noticed, however, I am not sharing this as a brag on my children. I am quite proud of them, but it is very clear to me that they both gained their confidence and their ability to communicate in their time at The Beech Hill School.

At The Beech Hill School, students are required to communicate with their teachers, formally and informally, regularly. They email their teachers when they have questions, they engage in daily conversations with their advisees, and they learn explicitly in Skills Class how to write thank you notes, to interview, and so much more.

Often, people outside The Beech Hill School community assume that attending such a small school would shelter our students and stunt their ability to function in larger settings. What I have witnessed in my children, and what I have learned from our alumni is quite the opposite. Rather, the small school community requires that all our students develop their voice, because at BHS there are no places to hide. By the time a student departs, they have had a number of opportunities to develop their confidence through authentic practice.

While it has been a few years since my children graduated from BHS, I am so pleased to see that their experiences in our little school by the farm have helped them to develop into the young adults that they are today.