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Tradition and Change
Several years ago, I was heading into a Board committee meeting when a trustee walking into the room and announced, “Hey, someone built a brick wall on the Quad!” What this Sanford board member and parent was seeing—for the first time—was Sanford’s War Memorial which honors Sanford alumni and teachers who were killed in the service of our country. It was built in the early 1950s. The reason our trustee had driven by the monument hundreds of times and never noticed the wall was that the structure was covered by a line of tall Hemlock trees, which blocked the view.
That fall, Facilities Manager Kevin Needham and I decided to remove the trees, power wash the War Memorial, add Sanford signage with lighting, and landscape the corner. Today, the corner of the Quad is both the fixture it has been for generations—and it is a bright, welcoming area to enter the center of campus, night or day. In short, we took a space on campus, cleaned it up, and made it better—while still honoring the Sanford history and the legacy it represents.
I’m reminded of this story about our War Memorial when I think about the improvements that have happened and continue to occur at our Middle School. As many of you know, Sanford’s Middle School was originally designed and built as dorm space for our boarding students. Over the years, Sanford has invested fundraising dollars in our Middle School facility to provide the best spaces for our students and teachers to learn and work. For example, in the summer of 2018, we used part of the proceeds from the Home & School auction to create a new playground space complete with climbing apparatus, engaging play elements, and the ever-popular, Ga-Ga Pit*.
This past summer, thanks to generous donor support, we have been able to continue transforming the Middle School into a bolder and brighter teaching and learning facility. Recent changes include:
Extensive interior renovations. Highlights include updated bathrooms, new lighting fixtures throughout the building, fresh paint in every classroom, and new furniture.
A revamped library (shown in the photo). This collaborative space, which was redesigned and filled with new fixtures and furniture, is more modern, warm, and welcoming than ever before.
A freshened exterior. Overgrown trees that blocked much of the facade have been removed. We are in the process of painting, adding shutters, and landscaping around the perimeter of the building.
The work happening in the Middle School isn’t just cosmetic. Middle School Head Emily Amendum and our exceptional team of teachers are thoroughly reviewing best practices and current research in education and updating our programs accordingly.
The spirit of continual improvement has become part of Sanford’s culture. Whether we are focusing on our facilities or programs, Sanford teachers and leaders are constantly thinking about ways we can make the Sanford experience better for our students and families.
Unearthing these opportunities for improvement continues to be one of the most exciting parts of my role in leading our Sanford community. And these are indeed exciting times at Sanford.
* While the Ga-Ga Pit and other improvements have been a hit for our students, the community members who make these enhancements possible receive great rewards. To learn more, listen to this excerpt from a SANFORD SPEAKS podcast that I recently recorded with Home & School President Laura Giardina.
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I’m reminded of this story about our War Memorial when I think about the improvements that have happened and continue to occur at our Middle School. As many of you know, Sanford’s Middle School was originally designed and built as dorm space for our boarding students. Over the years, Sanford has invested fundraising dollars in our Middle School facility to provide the best spaces for our students and teachers to learn and work. For example, in the summer of 2018, we used part of the proceeds from the Home & School auction to create a new playground space complete with climbing apparatus, engaging play elements, and the ever-popular, Ga-Ga Pit*.
This past summer, thanks to generous donor support, we have been able to continue transforming the Middle School into a bolder and brighter teaching and learning facility. Recent changes include:
Extensive interior renovations. Highlights include updated bathrooms, new lighting fixtures throughout the building, fresh paint in every classroom, and new furniture.
A revamped library (shown in the photo). This collaborative space, which was redesigned and filled with new fixtures and furniture, is more modern, warm, and welcoming than ever before.
A freshened exterior. Overgrown trees that blocked much of the facade have been removed. We are in the process of painting, adding shutters, and landscaping around the perimeter of the building.
The work happening in the Middle School isn’t just cosmetic. Middle School Head Emily Amendum and our exceptional team of teachers are thoroughly reviewing best practices and current research in education and updating our programs accordingly.
The spirit of continual improvement has become part of Sanford’s culture. Whether we are focusing on our facilities or programs, Sanford teachers and leaders are constantly thinking about ways we can make the Sanford experience better for our students and families.
Unearthing these opportunities for improvement continues to be one of the most exciting parts of my role in leading our Sanford community. And these are indeed exciting times at Sanford.
* While the Ga-Ga Pit and other improvements have been a hit for our students, the community members who make these enhancements possible receive great rewards. To learn more, listen to this excerpt from a SANFORD SPEAKS podcast that I recently recorded with Home & School President Laura Giardina.
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