Category: Issue 2

“A big family” and “a mug of hot chocolate” were two comparisons that sixth graders made when describing the Campus School in their graduation speeches this year. Situated in Helen Hills Hills Chapel on the final evening of May, graduates marked their transition from the school by reading reflective speeches. They then received, as generations of SCCS graduates will remember, a letter of gratitude read aloud by their teacher—a testament to each student’s special strengths and contributions to the community that is written by their 6th grade teacher with input from teachers across the grades. Every year, Campus School graduation begins with…

Head of the Campus School, Chris Marblo (pictured above, reading aloud to a captive kindergarten audience) sat down with Brittany Collins of the Lab School to speak about his journey to SCCS. Below is an excerpted transcription of the conversation, in which he offers insight into his educational philosophy and hopes for the future of the school. — Brittany Collins (BC): To put a bit of context to our conversation, could you talk about your journey in the field of education, as well as your journey to Smith? Chris Marblo (CM): “I will give you the Reader’s Digest version! I began as…

Ellie Wolfe is entering the 12th grade at the Williston Northampton School. She is the Editor of the school newspaper The Willistonian, is a staff member of the literary magazine Janus, and is also the co-founder and co-head of the Williston Women’s Action Alliance. In her free time, Ellie likes to hang out with her friends and take her dog Ringo for walks. Below, she shares reflections on her time in the SCCS “bubble,” a place that fostered growth and gave her the skills and confidence to succeed. My English teacher always tells me that, when I read a novel, I get…

In her new book Enough As She Is, Smith College Leadership Specialist and Campus School parent Rachel Simmons—a self-described “‘work in progress’ role model”—illuminates the dangers and pervasiveness of perfectionism in the lives of adolescent girls and young women. Written with an eye towards parents and educators, her original research features the stories of 55 interview subjects between the ages of 16 and 27 whose experiences combine with a review of cross-disciplinary literature to inform strategies for “[helping] girls move beyond impossible standards of success to live healthy, happy, and fulfilling lives.” Here at the Campus School, where students of all gender…

“If the structure does not permit dialogue, the structure must be changed” –Paulo Freire In the classroom as in life, difficult conversations catalyze powerful learning. Second grade teachers at the Smith College Campus School, Robbie Murphy and Maggie Bittel, teach this truth by example. In their annual unit on the Civil Rights Movement and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, constructive dialogue about challenging topics is not only “permitted” but promoted. Students grapple with past and present issues of racial inequality through a guided, interactive read-aloud of Richard Kelso’s Walking for Freedom, supplemented by projects that turn observation into inquiry, and inquiry into action.…

When Sophia Schaefer ’12, Fiona Bundy ’12, and Madison Fulcher-Melendy ’12 (pictured above, left to right) met in the kindergarten wing of the Campus School, they had no idea that their friendship would carry into college. Learning to finger paint and tie their shoes, the girls became swift companions: racing each other on scooters in gym class; learning to serve a volleyball; dancing together, at their sixth grade talent show, to a hip hop song that hinted of adolescence. Now seniors at the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, MA, the girls’ bond holds strong. In a few months, each will begin their…