When the alarm goes off
tomorrow and you struggle through the early morning preparations, it
might feel as though it's the beginning of yet another year of school in
a long education career. But it's not merely that. Take a minute to use
your crystal ball and think about all that will happen this year for
each individual child. It will be a year of amazing, miraculous,
mysterious, and magical growth and transformation.
Think about it: in
addition to academic preparation that matches the best schools in the
country, each EDS student will add riches to his or her treasure trove
of formational experiences and memories. They will experience what it
means to live in community. They will experience new benefits from that
community as well as new levels of personal responsibility. Through
whatever happens in their world this year, they will experience daily
life in a community that prays and worships together.
Some students will
suddenly discover the magic of reading or the liberating power of tying
one's own shoe. Third graders will transform into a famous historical
figure while fourth graders will conduct in-depth research on a state,
and both will be creatively presented to the entire community. Fifth
graders will sing and dance their way through a major musical theater
production, and the eighth grade will practice five days of leave no
trace living in the backcountry.
These are just a few
examples of the major experiential events integrated into the EDS
curriculum. Remember also that every day EDS students will be adding to
their treasure chests through experiences intentionally planned by us as
well as those that are simply part of life happening.
They will experience
triumph and setbacks, conflict and conflict resolution. They will
experience the humanity of those less fortunate and the joy of service
to others.
We take seriously our
mission to prepare students not just for high school but for life in
this shrinking, rapidly changing 21st century world. Therefore we have
intentionally crafted an amazing set of experiences in the context of a
remarkable community of care that will enrich their preparation by
building resilience, problem solving, community mindedness, humility,
compassion, and so much more.
So fasten your
seatbelts. It's not just another year at EDS; it's a year in which your
child will grow and transform before your very eyes - in ways expected
and unexpected. And watch out. You might also!
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