Upper School 101 Recap

This past Monday, Head of School Bob Whelan and Head of Upper School Andy Sperling hosted an introduction to LFCDS Upper School for all Lower School parents. Serving as an open information session on all things Upper School, this comprehensive event included a morning coffee meet and greet, panel presentations from Head of School Bob Whelan, Head of Upper School Andy Sperling, curriculum summaries from all department chairs, testimonies from current Upper School parents, and lastly, a detailed student-led discussion on various components of Upper School life.

On a daily basis, Lower School students often interact with Upper School students and begin to familiarize themselves with the environment of the Upper School. However, the Upper School is often mystified as a completely separate experience from the Lower School, when in reality; the Upper School is a smooth continuation of the educational process that has been started in Lower School. Therefore Bob, harnessing the long-standing LFCDS tradition of providing complete transparency between parent and faculty, decided to implement an open information session in order to give an inside look into the Upper School and clarify outstanding questions and curiosity.

While he mentioned that there is often fear associated with any transition, Bob reminded parents in his speech that LFCDS Upper School faculty, just like the Lower School faculty, both “know and love” their students and are devoted to guiding each particular individual through the educational process at their own best pace. Mr. Whelan mentioned that when a child is known, loved, and properly challenged, he or she becomes comfortable and safe in the learning environment and will be more actively engaged and confident in the school experience. Therefore, the School ensures that the same level of comfort and safety that was nourished in Lower School is replicated and built upon in Upper School.

However, it is also the duty of Upper School faculty at LFCDS to challenge each student and send them off prepared for secondary education and the world outside of school. Mr. Whelan mentioned that in order to do this, yes the Upper School student must be well rounded in the three traditional “r’s” of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but also in the new “r’s” of relationship, relevancy, and rigor. After Bob and Andy spoke, each department head went through their various curricula, and a common theme prevailed. Not only is the Upper School academic content rigorous, but also very pertinent to the times.

After the department heads laid out what to expect in Upper School from an academic standpoint, three parents of current Upper School children spoke about their child’s experience at LFCDS Upper School. One parent, a current college professor in the community, mentioned that she consistently sees
“college-level” work at the LFCDS Upper School level, and directly attributes that to the Upper School commitment to developing both oral and written expression in its students—long a hallmark of LFCDS. Another parent reflected on the extraordinary growth that occurs within the average LFCDS student from fifth to eighth grade, mentioning that by the time of graduation, most students have become young adults with beaming self-confidence. Another parent mentioned that the Upper School program makes room for mistakes and teaches students to shrug off failure, learn from mistakes, and try again. After the parents and teachers finished speaking, it became readily clear that both the old and new “r’s’” are in full effect at LFCDS, and that kids in Upper School learn how to handle pressure with ease.

Finally, the student panel reconfirmed how essential relationships are in the Upper School environment at LFCDS, whether that be a best friend, being part of a team or just simply seeing eye-to-eye with the incredibly dedicated teachers who strive to educate the whole student. The self-confidence and freedom of expression that is so much a part of healthy relationships between friends or mentors and students was on clear display during the student discussion as a handful of students answered various questions directed at them from Mr. Whelan or other parents. Touching on a variety of subjects, ranging from sports and academics to LFCDS social life, each student confidently reflected on their Upper School experience and all of the opportunities and added responsibilities that come with more freedom.