July 26, 2023
Dear Watkinson Community,
School as community, community as school.
That's the name of one of the five goal areas of Watkinson's strategic plan that was adopted in May of 2016. As often happens with institutional development, there was a bit of "chicken and egg" dynamic with this particular goal area as Watkinson had been profoundly committed to the Hartford community for decades prior to the adoption of that plan. While the work enacting our strategic plan has deepened those commitments, today I write to talk about a program that existed long before our plan was even an idea.
Right now, our campus is ringing with the voices of happy Hartford and East Hartford elementary students as our SPHERE Summer Program is in full swing. SPHERE, which stands for Supplementary Program in Hartford for Educational Reinforcement and Enrichment, successfully and intentionally integrates educational hands-on activities and classroom academics with engaging summertime activities. The main goal of SPHERE is to provide a bridge between the end of the current school year and the beginning of the next. Our program strengthens and grows foundational academic skills in a caring, fun, and intellectually-stimulating environment, emphasizing creative and recreational activities. The program also provides much needed opportunities for young children to work collaboratively with one another, and to develop their capacity for meaningful and positive social interactions, badly needed as we move from the era of isolation experienced by many children over the past three years.
Last week, we held our Community Day where funders, community leaders, and friends of SPHERE came to visit and hear from students and parents. It is always a potent reminder as to why the phrase "School as community, community as school" is so important. On this day, we share with the public the importance of the synergistic relationship between SPHERE and Watkinson, as the success of one feeds on the success of the other, and vice versa.
Our upper school students are counselors and counselors-in-training, working alongside teachers in myriad activities, from traditional classroom work to the all-important sprinkler time. In the process, an exceptional intergenerational learning relationship is created that is valued by both parents, counselors, and campers.
SPHERE is one of the ways Watkinson fulfills its promise to be an inclusive school. During the Community Day panel discussion, James D. '24 described the power of having moved from SPHERE camper to Watkinson “lifer”. He was articulate about what he believes that will mean for his future and why it continues to be important to him to be a counselor. You can see the full panel discussion in the video below.
I hope you are enjoying the respite of summer. We love to show off our school. Please consider yourself officially invited to come for a visit. If you'd like to come by, please contact my colleague Jenni French and she will help make the necessary arrangements.
All my best,
