This has been a week of highs and lows. The way our Scorpion School has successfully launched is truly heartening. I am in awe of the creative adaptions our teachers have made, not only under the pressure of time but as they also take care of their families and own needs. It has been an impressive expression of scholarship and courage as a team. I am likewise inspired and grateful for the way the community has rallied, been kind, and respectfully adjusted to the ‘new normal.’...
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
I hope we are all able to flourish in the coming weeks as we embrace distance learning. We certainly have had obstacles in the past few weeks and our leadership team has been working hard to set us up for success. We are asking all family members to read our new distance learning guide to get us off to a great start next Tuesday. At the same time, we recognize that this will be a complicated time for families and the transition to distance learning will be a challenge - hopefully one with unpredicted opportunities...
Every challenge also brings opportunity. Our current situation gives an opportunity for us to show courage and develop robust 21st century communication skills. We will work on this together. Sage Ridge intends to be the leader in the Reno community in protecting our families and creating virtual learning environments for our students. We ask for your family's enthusiastic and committed cooperation...
In the rapidly changing situation with the coronavirus pandemic I am hoping that “cooler heads will prevail.” This proverb is so important to keep in mind as we wade through the ocean of information coming at us; indeed, it currently feels like a tsunami has hit us. Adults need to help all our children and adolescents grapple with the situation and model for them how we can make informed decisions and take rational action for ourselves, our families, and our communities...
“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.” – Edward Everett Hale
I have been ruminating on this quote since I came across it several months ago...
At a recent presentation by Jonathan Haidt, he quoted an old adage that struck me, “Prepare your child for the path, not the path for your child.” Professor Haidt used it to illustrate how much parenting has changed in the last few decades and how he believes it is a factor in the higher levels of anxiety we see in Generation Z...
While Under Pressure is the book title for our Parent Book Club discussion focusing on anxiety felt by adolescent girls, I feel the title is something most of us feel in life at times. The pressure of looming deadlines. The pressure of family issues. The pressure of politics, economics, and society. There is a lot we can worry about no matter if you are an optimist, pessimist, or pragmatist. Lisa Damour observed, “Unfortunately, anxiety, like stress, has gotten a bad rap. Somewhere along the line we got the idea that emotional discomfort is always a bad thing.” Stress can be a point of focus and can heighten our awareness when it is needed...
A long standing tradition at Sage Ridge is our coffeehouse for student performances. Any student (and sometimes even alums and faculty!) may offer a performance as long as they have the courage to perform in the Great Space in front of our entire community - grades 3-12, faculty, staff and parents. I am continually impressed by the respect and encouragement our audiences offer - the support is symbiotic with encouragement providing courage for our performers.