Two Months In
As I’ve settled in as Interim Head at Advent, I’ve spoken to over sixty teachers, staff, parents, former parents, and school leaders, and I’ve been struck both by the forthrightness of everyone I’ve met with and by the strong commitment of all members of the Advent family.
First Graders paid a special visit to welcome Bill Wharton to Advent in September.
I’ve known of Advent since I started as a teacher at the nearby Commonwealth School in 1985. The two schools were founded three years and half a mile apart over sixty years ago. Both shared a commitment to academic excellence and to serving children from all backgrounds in Boston. The latter commitment was, among private and public schools alike, pioneering at a time when exclusion was the norm.
Advent’s founding mission speaks as well to its work today as it did then:
The Advent School educates children from kindergarten (now pre-K) through sixth grade in a nurturing environment. We promote in-depth understanding and mastery of academic skills, challenging students to think critically and take multiple perspectives.
The heart of the Advent School is our diverse, inclusive community. Our goal is to educate compassionate, responsible individuals who have the confidence to take actions consistent with their beliefs, and to understand their part in a larger world.
When I came to the school I found:
A skilled faculty devoted to the children they teach and to the school,
A curriculum and approach to teaching that tapped into children’s curiosity and interest, and equipped them with the skills to read, write, and think clearly and cogently,
A community drawn from all parts of greater Boston, where children work with and learn from classmates and friends of different backgrounds.
I’ve been helping Mr. Wormwood, Dr. Pruitt, and Mr. Lightbody with the Next Schools process, and so have been spending more time with the sixth graders, listening in on their sessions with visitors from a number of schools and helping to prep them for their interviews. These are the young people who have spent six to seven years with us, and so are, in a way, embodiments of the power of an Advent education. I’ve found them to be an impressive group–confident and comfortable speaking with adults, thoughtful when it comes to reflecting and speaking about their own learning and interests, and curious and astute in their questioning. With each other they are considerate and kind.
Each of them in their own way demonstrates that Advent delivers on its promise to educate sharp, compassionate, responsible individuals who are ready to thrive and make a difference in their next schools and beyond.
Warmly,
Bill Wharton
Interim Head of School
