The Next Step

As educators and community members here at Sage, one of our primary goals is to best prepare our students for the world outside our doors. In the words of our mission, we want our students to go forth confidently, applying their gifts, creativity, and curiosity to the world beyond Sage. Being a faculty member in the Middle School division, I can assure you that this preparation is at the heart of many of our decisions. But, what is the “world beyond Sage?” Where do our students find their next home-away-from-home?

To answer the latter part of that question, I could easily provide you with an extensive (and impressive) list of independent, parochial, and public schools. But, I will not. Instead, I will offer this insight: What I think is at the heart of many parents’ thoughts, especially in the case of families who have been a part of the Sage community for a stretch of time, is the worry that they may not find another place like Sage for their child. Will they find another school where they aren’t expected to change who they are to fit in? Where they can get in a political debate with their peers over lunch? Where being a math-lete is equally as cool as being an athlete, and where an appreciation of Edgar Allen Poe’s dark undertones is respected as just much as Lady Gaga’s penchant for reinvention? Will they find a school that can offer the challenging academics that their children deserve, while still embracing the joy they find in learning? These are the questions that many of our 8th graders and their families grapple with each fall. To those parents and students, I offer the calm reassurance that, yes, you can find this place. It might not be right next door, or a big name, and it might not be where you thought it was, but, yes, there is a school for most everyone. Listen to suggestions, keep your mind open, and maybe consider something you might not have at first.

And don’t worry – it will happen naturally. You can’t know what’s the best high school fit for a student who’s still in the 6th grade. Our students blossom and grow each year. It’s impossible to know who you’ll be a few years down the line if you aren’t given the opportunity to explore who you think you might be now. So parents, encourage your children to develop passions and cultivate their own opinions. Students, come to school every day on time, give it your all, and most importantly – be yourself. When the time comes, taking the next step will be a lot like following Dorothy’s yellow brick road. At first, you might not know exactly where you’re going, and you may face some twists and turns – but, in the end, you’ll wind up feeling right at home…again.

(For those so inclined, list of schools that recent Sage graduates have attended can be found on the “Secondary School Placement” page under “The Experience” on our website.)

By: Jenn Tanner
Coordinator of Secondary School Placement, Spanish Teacher, and Language Dept. Chair