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Memorial Day in Boarding Schools: The Alumni Who Remind Us What Community Really Means
Memorial Day can be easy to misunderstand. For many Americans, it signals the start of summer. A long weekend. Time with family. A break in the school calendar. But Memorial Day was never meant to be comfortable. It is a day set aside to remember the men and women who died in military service to…
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A Decade Later: How One Surprise Visit Still Shapes the Way I Support Students
Today I turn twenty eight. That number still surprises me. It means that the moment I am writing about now happened almost exactly a decade ago, during my junior year at Brehm Preparatory School. Yet it remains one of the clearest memories I carry into my work as an educator. When I turned eighteen, something…
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The January Belonging Crisis: Why the First Three Weeks Determine Student Retention
Every August, schools pour their energy into orientation, community building, and creating a strong start. But in reality, student retention is not determined in the fall. It is shaped in January, during the quiet first weeks after winter break. January is the most overlooked danger zone of the school year. Students return from home and family…
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A January Reminder: The Beyond the Bell One Minute Reflections on LinkedIn
As schools return from winter break and routines reset, I want to make sure Beyond the Bell readers are aware of something we have already put into motion. In early December, Beyond the Bell began publishing a weekly one minute reflection video series on LinkedIn. The series is public, ongoing, and designed to add a…
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The Quiet Students Are Sending Signals. Are We Listening?
Every school has them. The quiet students. The rule followers. The ones who move through hallways without drawing attention, sit in class without issue, complete assignments, and never require intervention. They are easy to celebrate. Easy to overlook. Easy to assume are “fine.” But as more research emerges about belonging, school climate, and adolescent mental…
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The Midyear Reset: Why December Is the Most Overlooked Opportunity in Boarding Schools
Every August, schools pour enormous energy into orientation, community building, and the “start strong” mindset. But by December, that momentum often fades. Students are tired. Dorm staff are stretched. Faculty are buried in grading. Leaders focus on logistics rather than culture. Yet this moment, right before the winter break, might be the most valuable window…
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The Pause That Teaches: Why Rest Matters in Boarding School Leadership
By the time this article is published, I will be packing a bag, shutting my laptop, and heading home to see my family for Thanksgiving. It will be the first real break I have had in a while, and it could not come at a better time. Between student life responsibilities, Beyond the Bell, and my…
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The Weekend Effect: How 48 Hours Can Define a Boarding School’s Culture
Ask any boarding school student what makes their school feel like home, and they probably will not mention a class period. They will talk about the weekends. Weekends carry the emotional weight of a school’s culture. They are where structure meets spontaneity, and where students decide whether their campus feels like a place to live…
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The Second Enrollment: How Student Life and Belonging Shape Boarding School Retention
When a student enrolls at a boarding school, the admission office celebrates a milestone. Yet the true test of a school’s culture comes later, when that same student chooses to stay. That decision to re-enroll is what I call The Second Enrollment, the moment when a student decides that this is not just where they attend…
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Should Boarding Schools Adopt Early Decision? A Critical Look at Canterbury’s Admissions Shift
When Canterbury School announced its move to an Early Decision admissions model, many in the boarding school world took notice. A binding enrollment commitment has been common in college admissions for decades, but its introduction into independent secondary schools signals a noteworthy shift in how boarding schools may approach enrollment strategy and student fit in…