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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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Honoring Momma G: How One Mom Became Family for a Whole Generation of Brehm Boarders
At Beyond the Bell, we believe education extends beyond classrooms and titles. Sometimes the people who shape us most are not teachers or administrators, but those who simply show up, care, and hold us accountable when we need it most. To begin September, our first article of the month honors one of those people: Gerhonda “Momma…
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Between the Court and the Classroom: A Conversation with J. Andrew Waugh, M.S.Ed.; ILC
Introduction by Jacqueline DanielleYou know when someone just gets it? That is Andrew Waugh. I met him at Brehm during a summer program, and even then he carried a notebook of ideas that would eventually become Beyond the Bell. He is reflective beyond his years, dry in his humor, competitive on the court and course,…
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It Begins Before the Bell Rings
It’s the first day of school at Tallulah Falls today. The dorms are alive again. The dining hall buzzes and is filled with inside jokes. Students head to class with new shoes, new notebooks, and all the hope a new year brings. The year did not start today, however mot for me. And not for…
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Finding the Right Fit: A Boarding School Consultant’s Perspective
The Right Fit: As an educational consultant and student life professional, I am often asked the same question by families beginning their boarding school search. “What is the best boarding school?” It is a natural place to start. Every parent wants the best for their child. But after years spent living and working in dorms,…
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Looking Back, Moving Forward: My Path from Tallulah Falls to Brewster Academy
As I reflect on my first year at Tallulah Falls School in the role of Chairman of Student Activities and Weekend Programming and Residential Life Coordinator, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude and pride. This year has been an incredible journey of growth, learning, and connection with students, faculty, and staff alike.…
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Beyond the Lockdowns: How Boarding Schools Have Adapted Nearly Five Years After the Pandemic
As we approach five years since the COVID-19 pandemic changed education globally, it’s clear that boarding schools were among the institutions that had to adapt the quickest. From quarantine measures to virtual learning, the changes schools made during the pandemic not only ensured student safety but also reshaped the entire educational experience. The impact of…
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Boarding School 101: Making the Most of Your First Year
It’s been about 10 years to the day since my amazing mother, father, and stepdad first mentioned they were looking at boarding schools for my junior and senior years. I didn’t know much about the idea of living away from home for the first time, let alone a new school, new people, and a completely…
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Beyond the Tour: Why Boarding Schools Need Comprehensive New Student Orientation Programs
Beginning at a boarding school is a thrilling but daunting experience. Unlike regular high schools, where students can get used to it while still remaining at home, boarding school students are confronted with an instant and drastic change. They have to adapt to a new school life, a living community, and a different level of…