Shore Past: Shore Present
By Lee Carey
Thirty years ago, Shore had no sign by the side of the road. It wasn't hiding, but there was no need to promote itself. Education was a very traditional affair. If you chose a school, you knew it by its consistency and reputation. At an "academic" school like Shore, teaching was predictable in style and content, even in facilities. A majority of families were predictable, too. Nearly everyone could pay for tuition; likely their forebears had a personal experience with private schools, and they came from a narrow band of geography.
Then the tiptoes of change began to gain momentum. If you contrast only the Shore of today and the Shore of, say, 1984, then change can be justly described as astounding, remarkable, fantastic, even unimaginable. As we look at current populations, Shore was very excited when its assortment of families came from 25 different communities; then it crept to 35. Today they come from 45 towns. Socio-economically, students attending with financial assistance tripled. Diversity quadrupled.
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Thirty years ago, Shore had no sign by the side of the road. It wasn't hiding, but there was no need to promote itself. Education was a very traditional affair. If you chose a school, you knew it by its consistency and reputation. At an "academic" school like Shore, teaching was predictable in style and content, even in facilities. A majority of families were predictable, too. Nearly everyone could pay for tuition; likely their forebears had a personal experience with private schools, and they came from a narrow band of geography.
Then the tiptoes of change began to gain momentum. If you contrast only the Shore of today and the Shore of, say, 1984, then change can be justly described as astounding, remarkable, fantastic, even unimaginable. As we look at current populations, Shore was very excited when its assortment of families came from 25 different communities; then it crept to 35. Today they come from 45 towns. Socio-economically, students attending with financial assistance tripled. Diversity quadrupled.
The craft of teaching became professionalized. Understanding how students think and interact with knowledge has been upended, and delivering great learning has become a deep commitment and a true art. Personal and academic passion flows three ways: Teachers still create great lessons, but we honor the upward-flowing energies and interest of the students, too, and in roundtable learning, it is clear that students can and do inspire each other.
Parental scrutiny of schools has followed suit. Blind trust is too harsh a phrase, but families three decades ago had a certain unwavering faith that schools knew their business. The end product looked terrific after grades 8 and 9, and secondary programs gobbled up the graduates in steady and successful progression. Parents trusted the school to do its job everyday. But the more the teaching evolved, the more that teachers' knowledge of individual students became critical. The school/parent partnership was born. It was a partnership that could only flourish with communication. Technology has made many things fly faster, and paramount among them has been information that allows this relationship to prosper on behalf of students. Or, rather, each student.
When traditions are meaningful, useful, fun, or nurturing, we hold fast to them at Shore. Preparing students well for the transition into high school might be one. So might camping trips or older and younger students spending time together. Having a genuinely personalized relationship with teachers and one's school, however, should be should be today's ultimate tradition. Students leave us with nearly a decade of education still ahead. Let them feel well versed in how they learn and in their power in an educational setting.
Shore Country Day School’s mission is to provide an education that inspires a love of learning and encourages children to embrace academic challenge. We seek to build character, cultivate creativity, and value diversity as we help our children become healthy, compassionate citizens of the world.
The School admits qualified students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law, and extends to them all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its admissions, scholarships, and loans, and its educational, athletic, and other programs.