Be More
Source/Author: Mike Murphy, Headmaster
August 31, 2018
I recently had a member of the senior class ask me to describe the perfect student. I reflected for a moment and thought back of the qualities modeled by students who earned the universal respect and admiration of students, teachers and community members.
I could break down their success in three ways.
- They were inclusive. Everyone felt safe and accepted by these student-leaders.
- They did well in academics, athletics, arts and service. They lived our Mission.
- They were lifelong learners in the pursuit of being more for themselves and the community.
What does the Be More tagline mean to you?
Parents/Guardians:
If you are a parent does it mean to be more available or to provide greater independence?
Does it mean to have more patience or to increase expectations?
Should you provide more enrichment opportunities or encourage more unscheduled free time?
Will you be more of an advocate or trust teachers and coaches without question?
Does it mean improving some aspect of yourself and therefore modeling how to be more?
Educators:
Does it mean embracing our Vision to create a legacy of inclusive, innovative and transformational education that ignites the potential of all learners?
Does it mean loving your students?
Could it be to increase mastery of your field?
Does it mean modeling lifelong learning?
Are we to be more collaborative or more of an individual?
Do we build our own programs or build programs that can be shard school wide?
The concept of Be More challenges all of us. It is an acknowledgement that no matter how much we have grown, no matter how far we have come we can Be More. As the questions built into this article attempt to demonstrate, how we decide to Be More is dependent on our view of what may be most important at a given time.
A smile crosses my face every time I think of how our Be More tagline relates to our Alpha students. How can a 3-year-old Be More? I am confident that when their teachers and families show them love and introduce them to new ways to experience their ever-expanding world, they will Be More. Fifteen members of the current senior class started at Shorecrest in Alpha. They are wonderful examples of how the family-school partnership results in developing people who know how to Be More.
For the sake of our students and our community, let’s Be More this year and every year.
Cheers!
Mike
