Jane's Pocket Change: Life's a Beach

It hardly feels that way today (I write this on Monday; it is raining here in Weston and it’s a chilly 54 degrees). Last week was another story, with record-high temperatures burning up New England in a four-day heat wave and we all had to work hard to stay on task!
It hardly feels that way today (I write this on Monday; it is raining here in Weston and it’s a chilly 54 degrees). Last week was another story, with record-high temperatures burning up New England in a four-day heat wave and we all had to work hard to stay on task!

The last “official” boarding dinner of the year was this past Sunday evening and the theme was beach party. The outfits were zany (ties with t-shirts seemed to be in vogue) and there were certainly plenty of bright colors on display. The efforts of Tony Penezic, our chef extraordinaire, shone brightly as he and his crew not only created a wonderful sunny-weather menu – ice cream! kebabs! watermelon! – but also provided beach balls and umbrellas and cool-looking shades. I have to admit that I snuck away once the water fights started, but not before witnessing some very impressive water balloon throwing and catching techniques.

Boarding life here at CSW is truly special. The small family-style residential program that we offer is relaxed and caring, and the students and the faculty all get to know each other very well. Throughout the year, each dorm sponsors a themed, Sunday evening dinner. The beach party was Warren House’s contribution. Aleph hosted a fall harvest theme with a campfire (complete with s’mores and ghost stories) and Trapelo’s Hollywood-styled “Evening of the Stars” had everyone dress up and featured a talent show afterwards. The Barn created an Earth Day dinner this year; they collected recycled materials from which each dorm created a wearable piece of art showcased in a Project Runway-style competition.

During other times of the school year, and especially toward the end, there are other traditions in the dorms, including: gathering photos and making collages that become keepsakes; salutes/honors/awards; slideshows that showcase how much the seniors have grown; thank you cards that are delivered to many of the staff, such as our nurse, Carol.

While each dorm definitely has its own personality, formed by the students who live there, each dorm is led by a consistency of quality care and support. I want to take this opportunity to thank the adults of the residential life community for all that they do to make these homes-away-from-home safe, comfortable and fun for our students. So thank you: Melisa, Michael, Evelina, Yev, LeeAnn, Sandy, Kevin, Leah, Patrick, Melodie, Jane, Nick, Po-wei, Olive, Chris, Mark, Denise, Jermaine, Jordan, Caleb, and Michael V, and the rest of the team who serve as administrators on duty. Let’s face it: life’s not a beach for any of us, day in and day out but, thanks to the commitment and big hearts of these adults, our boarding students are sure to receive a lot of warm wisdom and a sunny smile on any given day on the CSW campus.




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Pocket Change is a web diary written by Jane Moulding, head of school.

The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.