I love getting to tour boarding schools and partner with others who have a passion for students. In the absence of traveling to other schools, I do have the opportunity to visit with them on zoom calls weekly.
There are amazing boarding schools all over our great nation. I’m proud to share one with you today. I was so impressed with the heart of these leaders and the passion for students!
OVERVIEW
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools around the world to change the way they do things. Whether completely online, toggling, or open to those who can join in person, no school has gone untouched. At Christchurch School, we are blessed to have an expansive rural campus and low transmission in the surrounding counties. We are excited to have the majority of our boarding students on campus with us and to offer in-person teaching to day students.
But even though we are operating in person, this year is unlike any other. In this unprecedented time, when innovation has become a necessary tool, we believe strong values should guide change.
In 1920, Christchurch School (CCS) opened its doors with a bold set of aspirations – to inspire lifelong learning, to equip students with essential skills, to shape leaders who thrive in selective college environments and in the global community, to foster physical and mental health, and to ensure its students lead lives of transformation. One hundred years later, CCS continues to pursue these aspirations on the banks of the Rappahannock River. Founded by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, the school has always kept core values at the heart of its approach. The principles of curiosity, acceptance, integrity, respect, kindness, and self-confidence define who we are.
A lot has happened in one hundred years and we are proud of how we have helped lead important change in education, but our essence has never wavered.
EPISCOPAL VALUES
As a school we believe that education is about far more than content delivered in the classroom. We want our students to grow into compassionate, successful, and engaged global citizens. To this end, we lean in on the traditions of the Episcopal Church. Each week of school is defined by our Wednesday chapel service and the lessons of the liturgical calendar. Who we are is defined by our Episcopal identity. Central to that, of course, is a strong sense of inclusion within our community. It is our tradition to embrace people of all backgrounds.
We believe that values are more than just takeaways from good sermons – they are tools and goals, building blocks and end results. In the classroom, we teach our students to be respectful and curious. On the playing fields, we emphasize teamwork, grit, accountability, and sportsmanship, which are synonyms for integrity, self-confidence, and kindness. In our residential spaces, we insist that students learn from and about each other. Together, these experiences and expectations transform our students, each lesson in one space contributing to and building on things learned in a totally different environment.
We are proud that 90% of our students end up at colleges on the Princeton Review’s Top School list and that the same percentage attend one of their top three college choices. But we are motivated most by who our students become in those schools and then as part of our world. We value most specifically the people we help shape.
INNOVATION
The world of 2020 is far different from the world of 1920. The population of our planet has exploded – from 2,000,000 to more than 8,000,000. Economies have transformed – the most common job was farming, now it is retail sales. Connections have deepened – decisions made in one country can have direct impact on people living across the globe. In short, being a global citizen today means something different than when CCS was founded.
In order to navigate change, CCS has always innovated. We understand that our bold aspirations require us to adapt and react but rather than being shaped by change, we remain committed to our identity. Innovation is not a total rethinking of who we are, it is merely a new application of our approach. In fact, each time we rethink what we are doing we recommit to who we are and how we do things.
Today, we offer a truly global learning environment, with students from all over the world. We want life within our proverbial white fences to mirror broader realities. Similarly, our Global Education program connects students with far-flung corners of the globe – taking them each year to India, Senegal, Guatemala, China, and Germany. International trips throughout the year allow participants to explore and experience new places and cultures. Relationships built during those adventures are brought back into classrooms and projects, allowing us to do more than
just visit. Teachers do not just travel as chaperones, they live alongside our students and are just as eager to utilize relationships with the world.
As a school, we have embraced the benefits of technology as an essential tool but also teach our students to understand how social media and electronics can negatively impact communities and individuals. We want to equip our students with the understanding and tools they need to navigate life today. Our innovation center allows them to master 3D printers and design while also helping them connect with real-world experiences. We want our students to be confident and competent in the modern world – able to contribute rather than being controlled by technology.
Innovation is central to who we are. UNIQUE LOCATION/CAMPUS
Christchurch School is blessed to be ideally situated on the banks of the Rappahannock River. Ten miles from the Chesapeake Bay, this location provides countless benefits for our educational offerings. Just outside our classrooms, students can experience one of the most unique and relevant watersheds in the world. Our pioneering Marine Science program helps students really understand the marine environment that surrounds us. Through our
relationships throughout the region, students are also able to learn about themselves, their place, connected communities, and, eventually, the world.
Our 125 acre campus affords access to incredible natural resources and provides a safe space for learning and growing. We use our place to run the only student-driven oyster program in the country, to make what we teach more relevant and interesting, to teach real-world skills, to empower our national champion sailing program, to connect disciplines and ideas, and much more. We work hard to make sure that we are living up to the potential of our location and providing our students with as many opportunities to learn and grow as we can.
In this time of change, we are proud of what we are doing as a school. We hope sincerely that more institutions will embrace clear values and find meaning in the world around them. To us, this makes all the difference.
