THE RELATIONSHIP FACTOR

BY CHRISTA KNUDSEN '92

Reprinted from The Hilltopper Magazine, Spring 2023

 

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In order to provide a strong foundation for students to create a joy-filled and passionate life, Marshall cultivates an environment that builds a healthy understanding of relationships.

In 2017, Harvard Health published results from a 25-year longitudinal study on men’s health and found that “close relationships, more than money or fame, are what keep people happy throughout their lives. Those ties protect people from life’s discontents, help to delay mental and physical decline, and are better predictors of long and happy lives than social class, IQ, or even genes.” 

Across the nation, independent schools often differentiate themselves by achievement-related statistics. Have small schools perhaps been taking the relational aspects of intimate class sizes and teacher-student connections for granted? In the past, these were subconscious givens, not selling points, but it now seems that providing relational access, guidance, and collaborative learning are among the greatest assets we possess. 

In recent years, social-emotional learning (SEL) has gained traction with educators. The importance of social-emotional engagement and guidance in schools is increasingly seen as an asset, especially as deficits from pandemic isolation show continued developmental tolls in student attitudes and interpersonal abilities.

Our Marshall curriculum is continuously shaped to include relevant opportunities for relationships and social-emotional learning. This year, a daily group time called Crew was instituted across the Forest School, Middle School, and Upper School to instill a sense of belonging, and provide a safe space for students to share stories, ideas, and emotions around guided topics. Marshall’s values and priorities are evident in the way our educators have built structure and lessons that intentionally create relationships with others, our surrounding environment, and ourselves.

IN the FOREST SCHOOL

• Our elementary program is based on seven connected elements that provide opportunities for our youngest Hilltoppers to utilize the concept of relationships; the land, story, play, risk, power, trust, and truth thread through every teacher-student and student-student interaction, serving as a foundation for lifelong learning, compassion, respect, and stewardship.
• Students gain resilience and perseverance by recognizing that they can do hard things together and individually, whether outdoors in the elements or leaning into challenging literacy and math problems.
• Music and routines emphasize the importance of relationships throughout seasons, in nature, and woven through each day, while highlighting the joy of caring for others.

Dear friends, goodbye!
Dear friends, goodbye!
Now is the time of day,
when we all go our way.
Dear friends goodbye,
our love be ever with you!

KESTREL GOODBYE SONG

 

IN the MIDDLE SCHOOL

• Participation in a wide variety of activities, classes, and experiences allows students to expand their bandwidth and appreciate a range of skills and talents in classmates.
• Expressive engagement is required through music, art, class musicals, and classroom discussions to overcome reluctance.
• The Fryberger Outdoor Learning Experience allows students to see themselves and others in different contexts, building lifelong awareness and connections to each other.
• Middle School group gatherings—morning Crew, Drop Everything And Read (DEAR), and afternoon Crew—allow opportunities for students and teachers to check in with each other, formally and informally. The three-part structure also helps teachers keep their hand on the pulse of the ebb and flow of a student’s day, supporting, encouraging, and intervening as necessary.

IN the UPPER SCHOOL

• A unique schedule facilitates relationship development and deep learning, and provides the time for regular collaboration with peers.
• Bountiful opportunities exist to explore and express interests and passions through over forty student affinity clubs, encouraging support and friendship around common interests.
• Curriculum emphasizes collaboration and group work while honing individual skills and contributions in the classroom.
• Internship programs and the senior project allow students to engage their passions to express themselves and help others in a meaningful, directed way.
• Statement of Community and the Honor Code guide student relationships, interactions, and disciplinary responses.