Message from the Head of School: Monday Assembly

Dear Charleston Day School Families,

As we begin another week of school, I thought you might appreciate a glimpse into what happens every Monday morning at Charleston Day. At 8 a.m. on Mondays, every student and every faculty member at Charleston Day School heads to the gym for Assembly.  We’re fortunate to share that time together.  The size of our school allows us to gather all of our Scorpions in one place to share information, listen to speakers and reinforce the school’s mission of fostering scholarship, integrity, respect, and responsibility in our students.

Assembly provides an opportunity for all eighth graders to share an important aspect of their life with the community.  The eighth-grade speeches are a rite of passage at Charleston Day School and allow us to celebrate the success and development of those students.  The speeches also serve as a roadmap for our younger students to view the path to success.  Each week, I watch the faces of our youngest Scorpions as they sit with rapt attention and absorb what each eighth grader says.  They learn about grit, resilience, sportsmanship, the importance of family and the hard work it takes to make it to that podium.  It isn’t by chance that each of those students is poised, articulate and prepared.  By eighth grade, they have benefited from being in a K-8 school where the focus is on challenging each student at the upper end of their abilities. They’ve grown up in a school where every adult addresses them by their names and where they feel safe to explore and safe to soar. By the time a CDS eighth grader reaches that podium, he or she is well prepared for whatever comes next. It is a pleasure to watch.

As our eighth graders move on to high school, they do so with the strength of a CDS education supporting them.  That support results in our eighth graders having multiple options for the future as virtually all are admitted to their first-choice high school.  For those of you with young children, eighth grade may seem far away.  I can assure you that it will sneak up on you in the blink of an eye.  So, whether you are the parent of a kindergartener or an eighth grader, please make a point to join us at a Monday Assembly.  You’ll be amazed by what our Scorpions can do.

Hope to see you soon!

• Assembly
• Head of school