Head of School Letter: Food for Thought - Connecting with Students 

There is a universal language to share with children and teenagers of all ages: food. I take advantage of food to foster a connection with students. The act of eating together enhances a sense of belonging. Conversations and connections seem to flow more easily with young people when there is food involved. My weekly group lunch with seniors features their favorite Chipotle order. With fourth graders, we make s’mores over the firepit on the Gaffney Green. And eighth graders get to pick their desired smoothies, which I share with them during their morning break time. I choose these grades because they are the leaders of the Upper, Lower and Middle Schools respectively, and I miss having authentic opportunities to just hang out with students. Rarely do I have a specific agenda for these meetings. I mostly ask questions and see where the conversations go. 

With seniors, I always ask how long they have been at Shorecrest and what changes they have seen to their school. I ask them to describe the personality of their grade, what they love about Shorecrest, and what they would change about the school if they had the power to do so. Consistently they talk about people - how much their friends mean to them, how deeply connected they feel to their teachers, advisors and coaches, and how much they will miss the relationships they have developed with members of the Shorecrest community when they graduate. I ask for advice, their thoughts on what we could do better and what they think I, specifically as the Head of School, should know. I value their input and have acted upon a number of their suggestions.  

Fourth graders arrive straight from lunch and head over to the fire pit eager to get started toasting their marshmallows. There is always a discussion about methodology: burn vs slowly brown. As they are holding their elongated forks over the flames, the conversation drifts to other things. Some groups come prior to their overnight camping trip and we speculate about what that experience will be like. Other classes are scheduled to make s’mores after they have returned from the trip and they have fun telling me about the activities they have done and what it was like to spend the night with their classmates in a cabin. Sometimes we talk about TV shows they like and weekend activities. They are mostly open and excited and willing to get sticky.

As I expected, the Middle Schoolers are often the hardest group to engage. Once they start talking, however, the eighth graders take the ball and run. I often start by asking what activities they are involved with, both inside and outside of school, along with what they are looking forward to in the Upper School. Sometimes the discussion will swing around to what they think is the toughest part about life as an eighth grader. Friendships and homework dominate the conversation, along with the exciting anticipation of more freedom and no uniforms as they enter their high school years. The depth of their perception about life continually impresses me. 

While food is a great icebreaker for older students, with our youngest Chargers the connection happens through stories. My weekly reading sessions with our Alpha and JK students are pure joy, even with no food involved. I visit each classroom on a rotating basis, sitting on the carpet in their circle, slowly reading each page and always remembering to turn the book so that they can see the pictures. By this time in the school year they remember my name, although they are sometimes a bit shaky on what exactly my role is at Shorecrest. They do know that they see me every morning in the Experiential School carline and they seem to remember that I have a dog.

We all become educators because we want to interact with students. It is a privilege to spend time with Shorecrest students, to connect with them over food, to learn from them and have them get to know me. The relationships and connections that we develop over time are the essence of this very special Shorecrest experience. Whether it’s sharing a story or some food, these moments remind me of why we do what we do.

All the best, 

Nancy