ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠThis week's New Yorker included two seemingly unconnected items which in my mind relate to the end of the school year, one directly and one obliquely. The former was a cartoon by Michael Crawford depicting elementary school parents having a conference with their son's teacher. She says, “I'm holding George back this year because he's failed to forge a personal style.” The latter was a piece called “Feature Presentation” by James Surowiecki that chronicled an odd pattern that marketers note amongst purchasers of consumer goods: “buyers want bells and whistles but users want something clear and simple.” Surowiecki noted that this “peculiar problem for companies” costs corporations at least fifty billion dollars a year in returned goods which American consumers couldn't figure out how to use (making the decision to return the item within 20 minutes of starting to monkey with it).
ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠ“Failure to forge a personal style” is not a problem we often see at The Country School! In fact, our teachers are committed to nurturing children as individuals and helping to develop their unique strengths, while at the same time addressing their particular weaknesses. One reason our student attrition rate is so low (our “returned goods rate,” if you will) is this personal approach our teachers lavish upon each learner. In addition, what we focus on is “clear and simple” yet embellished by a prudent amount of “bells and whistles.” We emphasize the acquisition of critical underlying skills, avoid educational fads, and present things in developmentally appropriate ways, yet still offer an enriched program, challenge, high expectations, and an atmosphere that puts knowing individuals at its root.
ﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠﾠThe conclusion of a successful 2006-07 school year demonstrates again that our unique mix leads to children who thrive. While your child has most assuredly continued to forge his or her personal style this school year, he or she has also been grounded by an enriched program and a positive educational environment. I hope you can see this positive growth in your child this year, and I send all my best wishes to you and your children for a wonderful summer!