Monday morning, I started my day by attending a networking event for admission professionals, school consultants and heads of school. It had been about four years since I had attended an event like this, the pandemic required that my attention be undivided at BHS. Likewise, many of the other heads in attendance were only just beginning to attend events of this sort. Throughout the morning, I was able to learn from my peers, share stories, and simply connect. I had forgotten how powerful, and empowering, it is to build relationships with peers.
Through the Skills program, the students at BHS spend time learning how to build and develop relationships. One way that we do this is to prepare them for interacting with new people. We actively teach them how to introduce themselves, the value of eye contact, a firm handshake and making meaningful conversation. Not only do we teach our students these skills, but we provide them opportunities to put these skills to work in a real way.
On Thursday night, we welcomed 18 secondary schools from the area to The Beech Hill School. These schools were excited to share the story of their school and were looking for potential students. I was extremely proud of The Beech Hill School students, as I watched them move about the event, introducing themselves with confidence and putting to practice all that they had learned in Skills class. Several of the school representatives went out of their way to express how impressed they were with the quality and polish of our students.
When families choose The Beech Hill School for their children, I am not certain that they are anticipating that their child will acquire the skills to network and build professional relationships. As I watched BHS students at Secondary School Night and as I re-learned at the event that I attended – cultivating and maintaining relationships are critical for success. It is exciting to think that our students are getting a jump on this important life skill.