Dear Seventh Grade families,
I love the upper school years and relish moments like yesterday when attending the History Fair. What a joy it was to witness each student’s poise, smarts, confidence, engagement, and mature command of their topics.
I also love how 7th graders master the form of how students at BCD are asked to demonstrate their learning in three ways: orally, in writing, and by creating a project. This is just one of the many ways our talented teachers intentionally connect the dots from the early years in lower school through 9th grade (for those of you have been at BCD for a few years, you remember each of those, right?). It also reflects how we craft a challenging curriculum that cultivates skillfulness and a respect for the multiple ways that we are smart. And, 
we know that these three abilities will serve them well in high school and college, as collaborators and creators, as meaningful participants in our changing world, and as they realize success as confident individuals and during their careers.
Robert Kegan, a Harvard professor and leading expert on adolescent and adult development reminds us to notice and regularly tell our children we see the pearl inside of the oyster shell of the teenage years. What a moment we all had to do that yesterday!
I know that Sarah Pitcher-Hoffman was equally proud. Thanks again for sending your amazing children to BCD!
Paul