The Country School is an independent, coeducational, Pre-K through 8 school founded in 1934.
News
Commitment
Mr. Hawkes, my high school tennis coach, demanded our complete commitment to the team. As if to underscore that he was going to require unusual dedication, each season, before we ever started hitting any balls, he required that we spend a few weeks running several miles a day. These runs thinned our ranks and left us with a more manageable team. But the fact that they continued into the season reflected the impassioned way Mr. Hawkes regularly talked about the level of conditioning and commitment it would take if we were ever going to amount to anything. He regularly told us that our skills were not as important as our willingness to persevere.
Commitment, the Country School value which we focus on this month, seemed to be the point of sports to Mr. Hawkes. I don’t recall our results those four arduous years. But I do recall Mr. Hawkes’s constant talks about the need for persistence, dedication, and steadfastness of purpose. In fact, he demonstrated these ideals by running with us each day – except he would always cruise by us on the roads, running with more tenacity and ease than any of us.
Beyond emphasizing perseverance, diligence, dedication, and carry through, we can help our children become committed by helping them set and monitor goals. We can encourage them to finish what they start. We can expect that they take on responsibilities that help the family, even if those tasks are easier to complete ourselves. We can direct their focus to effort as well as performance.
It sometimes occurs to me that maybe it was because our tennis skills were weak that Mr. Hawkes focused on commitment. In any case, he never betrayed disappointment in our performance. He would only give us a hard time if we fell short of the kind of commitment he expected – and consistently modeled.
Recent News
List of 5 news stories.
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Conversation & Homecoming - Saturday, February 24, 2024
Read MoreThe Country School, Talbot County Free Library, and the Avalon Foundation, sponsors, join with fourteen other community organizations to present Conversation & Homecoming with Carole Boston Weatherford and her son, Jeffery Boston Weatherford, a program free and open to all. -
TCS Upper School presents 'Matilda, Jr.!'
Read MoreThe Country School will present Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical JR. on March 1st & 2nd at 7pm and on March 3rd at 2pm in the school’s auditorium. Tickets are $10. Click here to purchase tickets. -
Renowned Scholar Celeste-Marie Bernier visits The Country School
This week, The Country School was honored to welcome a distinguished visitor to its campus, Professor Celeste-Marie Bernier, Chair of United States and Atlantic Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.Read More -
Secondary School Night 2023
On Tuesday, October 3, over 30 secondary school representatives visited our Secondary School Night, an event open to students in grades 5-8.Read More -
Country School Summer Camps 2023
Our summer camps aren't just open to Country School students. Check out the many great offerings this summer at this link.
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