TaborTalk Blog

Fall crew began as a burst of inspiration last spring while I was rowing three seat on Tabor’s first varsity boat. We were cruising through the season, doing well, but something shifted for me when we finished second during our Andover/Exeter race. Putting our speed to the test and crossing the finish line just seconds before Andover had made me so excited about rowing. Those critical seconds increased my motivation, and that of my teammates, to see what might be possible if we put some extra time and effort into it. I decided to speak to our Athletic Director to ask for consideration for a fall student-run effort in hopes of competing in the Head of the Charles Regatta, as some of our sister schools do.

More times than I care to recall, I’ve heard enthusiastic students exclaim, “I know I’m applying early …I just don’t know where yet.” Talk about putting the cart before the horse. Application season is upon us, and high school seniors across the globe are preparing to submit applications to college, and many of them will be filed under some type of “early” program. Applications can be filed early decision, which is binding, or early action, which is non-binding. So, what’s all the fuss about early? Well, I can think of two things that jump out about early programs that are extremely attractive to students and generate a lot of fervor in the college search process at Tabor. The first is preference in the admission selection process, either real or perceived, it doesn’t really matter. The second is simply arriving at the finish line, something not to be overlooked in the wake of an extensive search. College search fatigue is real and many students feel a remarkable sense of relief when their first applications are finally submitted.

Tabor Day is returning, and we are looking forward to it!  Recollections of Tabor Day during the Octobers of the mid-1970s include a beautiful fall Saturday each year, with the crisp aroma of Buzzards Bay salt air mixed with the campus’s scent of the still-green grass and of the colorful leaves at the start of their decline.  The arrival of families and of returning alums enlivened the campus and filled the sidelines of the fully scheduled athletic events.  And it was always great to see the recent grads with whom you may have shared a TA class or a team … or a few humorous episodes.

The head of another independent boarding school once said to me, “I suspect you have very wise parents.” It was such a humbling compliment because I truly do. My parents are wise, kind, well-educated, and fun. In my line of work, I often hear from parents, “Oh, I love my child too much to send them to boarding school!” Some parents even have a strong physical reaction, reaching out to grab their child or pull them closer. Comments like that used to make me sad, because I went to boarding school and my parents loved me very much (Still do!). Now those comments just fuel my creative juices for new blog posts.

The following is an excerpted version of Head of School John Quirk's Opening Chapel Talk:

My dad was a great guy – a funny and bright man of inspiring idealism. This trait expressed itself in many ways, but one of the best was his devotion to the Constitution as a living document. Many peoples’ passions are blind, but not his. He knew the document well, recognized and spoke with knowledge about the tensions and “unfinished business” of it, and was an expert in the ideas of the people who were its architects. In this, he was perfectly matched to the times he lived in.

He was a postwar baby born in 1945, with national pride beaming and nuclear fear coldly simmering. He was a high school student during the tumultuous early sixties – the death of John F. Kennedy, the rise of Rock and Roll and the drug culture. He was in college in the mid-sixties when I was born, as two of his heroes – Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. -- were slain, the cold war was heating up in Southeast Asia, and race riots and violent protests were peppering the news.

Proctors arrived to campus a few days early on September 1^st for the proctor orientation that would take place over the course of the week. We met with Mr. Millette twice a day for our training, which consisted of various leadership training activities and lectures.

Joslyn Jenkins '17 and Eddie Hannon '17 are Tabor's Co-Heads of School for the 2016-17 school year, a position they were elected to by Tabor's entire student body. Here are excerpts from their opening Chapel Talk:

Education rights activist Malala Yousafzai tells us that, “One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” School is a fundamental aspect of a child’s life, and each child’s life holds the undeniable potential to impact the world. Most parents approach high school without realizing there is a choice when considering how to maximize their child’s potential. It is the recognition of this innate potential that drives the school choice movement. Before the “choice” is made, an objective school search should be undertaken. That search might include boarding schools, day schools, parochial schools, charter schools as well as taking a critical look at your hometown public school. In this post, we offer an outline and our words of wisdom on how to approach the process in hopes that it may feel more accessible.

What is the definition of a leader? Leadership is vital in a number of different environments, yet perhaps the importance of leadership is nowhere more apparent than on a sports team. The role of a team captain, a designated leader, is not reserved for the best player on the team, or the most enthusiastic team member. A captain should be one who leads by example: someone who is focused, hard working, encouraging of others, and able to bring people together. My co-captain and I, however, didn’t have much to do in the area of bringing the girls together and creating team unity - as they were able to do it themselves.

Tabor has a global connection that goes back to 1890, winding its way through the 20^th century’s upheavals, surprises, and technology innovations, and now poised to help shape what a 21^st century education will mean. This summer Tabor students and faculty rode this global connection to the far corners of the world, and welcomed international travelers and students to the shore of Sippican Harbor. The three brief descriptions that follow may help to give some of the flavor for what are often transforming experiences.

When it’s over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Athens, you don’t usually complain, because, well, you are lucky enough to be in Athens. But when you have been up since 6:00 am, walking almost continuously since 8:00, and you’ve already climbed the Acropolis, seen the Parthenon, the Parthenon Museum, the Plaka district, Agora, Temple of Zeus, and much more, it can be tempting to complain just a little. I asked the gang if they had it in them to see just one more thing, the National Archeological Museum, and the kids jumped at the chance.

His question was a familiar one, but judging from the expression on our guide’s face, the response was not. “Where are you from?” asked Sim, our local contact in Cambodia. The pod of the 37 travel-weary Seawolves replied concurrently, “Korea. Thailand. The U.S. China. Canada…” In all, Tabor’s 2016 Cambodia Service Learning trip volunteers represented seven distinct countries. Sim was impressed, and to be honest, so were we.