As we head towards reopening in August, we are not only busily preparing campus and safety protocols but also welcoming new faculty and staff. After a truly extensive and global search...
Head's Welcome
Hello and welcome!
Ralph Waldo Emerson proclaimed “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” My enthusiasm for Sage Ridge stems from the fact that our school shares my deepest values and passions:
- developing authentic academic excellence for all learners
- creating opportunities for leadership through a wide variety of athletics, arts and activities
- fostering and supporting teaching that inspires curiosity, critical thinking, and innovation
- supporting a school culture that guides every child's development through our pillars of Scholarship, Respect, Integrity, Courage, and Community
The spirit of our mission reaches out locally and globally as our students and alumnae engage in making a difference in the world. Our community spirit connects us as we work together to support a great learning environment so our students can thrive. That same spirit connects us to our wider community through service, partnerships and good will.
Building on these strong foundations is critical in preparing our students for the future. Innovations in neuroscience and advances in psychology are deepening our understanding of what works in education. Even as the skills and dispositions needed for taking on the challenges of the future shift, we are recognizing that the core is still developing intellectual character in liberal arts and sciences. This is so critical thinking and engaged citizens are honed as they become life-long learners. A Sage Ridge education sets all our students on a path to make a difference well past graduation - applying courageous scholarship with integrity and respect to contribute to their communities.
If you are new to our community or considering joining us, please explore our site and social media and then visit us to see for yourself why our community is a perfect place to learn, grow and succeed.
Enthusiastically,
Tobin S. Bechtel, Head of School
Our Mission:
Sage Ridge School graduates curious and confident citizens who embrace rigorous scholarship, respect the dignity of individuals, choose integrity, embody courage, cultivate a compassionate community, and ultimately thrive in college and in our global society.
Recent Notes from the Head
This has been a week of farewells which always has its highs and lows. I believe it is important to keep in mind an ancient adage - Tempora mutants nos et mutamur in illis - times change and we change with them. While we are a relatively young school, we have our traditions, we have our pillars...
Last week I delivered a ‘collective charge’ to our seniors. With the events of the last fortnight, I believe this charge applies to all of us. I argued that context is key and quoted Malcolm Gladwell from his most recent book, “Don’t look at the stranger and jump to conclusions. Look at the stranger’s world.” The strife and spreading division surrounding us really comes down to a lack of open mindedness and a lack of empathy. To be able to consider multiple perspectives does not mean you have to agree with differing perspectives. But we do need to be compassionate and value all life...
Scorpion School is coming down to the home stretch! We all must do our best to keep our students engaged until the end and promote a smooth transition into what will likely be an unusual summer. While I cannot predict exactly what our fall school year will look like, we know that schools will need to continue to have a distance learning capability. While we have pivoted and launched distance learning quickly in response to COVID, we know we can continue to evolve our program and need to consider how it supports our in-school learning...
While I have written about gratitude in the past, as we near the end of our academic year I am reflecting on the importance of volunteers. Sherry Anderson has wryly pointed out, “Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” And it goes deeper than that because when we volunteer we are usually committing time, energy and resources to what we are passionate about and want to help succeed...
I have heard almost ad nauseam in the last few months that “we’re all in this together.” But being in something together is not the same as working together. I believe one key reason for our success with Scorpion School has been that we have all been able to work together...
This year marks my 25th year of having the honor to serve as a teacher and leader in schools around the world. I have learned as much from my students and colleagues along the way as I have ’taught’. One of my students from long ago recently reached out to me just to say “Thanks for instilling a deep love of history and thought provoking conversations in me as a teen - it’s served me well in life.” I feel so fortunate to be able to have this type of positive influence through sharing, caring, and connecting with students...
During a zoom discussion this week with other Heads of School we were fortunate to have a guest, Dr. Michael Thompson, who wrote Raising Cain, a book that changed the educational view of how to work with adolescent boys. While the dialogue began with how we can support students during this time of social dissonance, we explored a wide range of topics. At one point Dr. Thompson stopped us all in our tracks when he asked whether we are trying to solve immediate problems or take on the dilemmas facing education today...