The Cadence of the School Year

Our students are exceptional—curious, bold, intellectual—and they range in age from 10-18. Life at Dana Hall School includes an adolescent journey full of sprints and pauses, stumbles and celebrations. Our shared experience addresses these development stages with confidence. And, we are incredibly adept at responding to the unpredictable—the temporary lapses in judgment, the forgotten textbook order, the evolving social dilemmas. While adolescents are somewhat unpredictable by nature, the cadence of a Dana Hall school year is often not.
 
Early September brings a series of welcomes and hellos, new names, new summer stories, and new energy. The beginning of a school year is a cherished opportunity for beginnings and rejuvenation. Everyone starts fresh. Everyone sets goals. Everyone rolls up their sleeves. Last year is last year. And this year has just knocked on the door.

Fall brings new course content, new classroom routines, and new daily schedules. It also brings doses of “do you remember when” and “wow this is different.” Relationships flourish and change. Advisories settle in and develop a collective personality. New teachers and new connections.
 
New England temperatures begin to drop. Fall leaves scurry underfoot during the walk to the Dining Hall. Seniors start to experience “this is the last…” while leaning into the uncertainty and excitement of the college admission process. Eighth graders step into leadership in the Middle School. The faces in 5th grade reveal excitement in remembering material from the last unit. Department members collaborate and share resources. “I’m going to try that a little differently this year.”
 
Then, ice skates replace running shoes. Some students see snow for the first time. Cocoa mug rings appear alongside textbooks. Classroom conversations build on observations from the previous months. Students hear “you’re almost there” and try again. “Wait, show me more. How did that go?” Student recitals warm Beveridge Hall.  
 
Almost without notice, the days become longer and lighter, and the walks to the library in the evening feel differently. “Do you think I need this sweatshirt?” Perspectives shift. We begin discussing courses for next year. “Look at how fast they go!” We are sort of running a marathon ourselves. Bardwell fills with music and lighting cues and late buses return from games in Maine. Middle School trips offer new adventures and classmate roommates with music and snacks.
 
As spring and then late spring roll through, a student’s simple reflection suggests we’ve covered a lot. Senior Projects leave quieter halls behind. “Do we need to know that for the exam?” Afternoon sprints, more conditioning, a big game ahead. “That was my favorite book in sixth grade!” Musings about what next year will be like. “I can’t believe we’ve been here for so long.”  

And the next thing (or last thing) you know is—the Commencement tent is going up. And we celebrate, reflect, express gratitude, and bid farewell, until we meet our friend, Renewal, once again in the next fall.