I received a letter from my school earlier this month: it was among my proudest moments as an alum.

Choate has a long and storied history as boarding schools go, founded in the 1880’s on the British model, form (grade) meetings in Chapel, Blazers and dress code in the dining hall. Truckloads of homework, a rainbow of curriculum options, great admissions to college, and a unique bond that only boarding schools can create. Jack Kennedy nearly flunked out, ee cummings learned his punctuation, and Michael Douglas acted (up) in Wallingford. It’s a pressure cooker, an escalator that goes straight up and you can’t get off but to jump.

At least it looks that way from the outside.

Earned daily. Good on you Choate.

From the inside, it’s actually a lot more fun for the students (was for me). And a lot harder for the school. The pressure to maintain the standards of integrity, excellence, and continued growth are awe-some. And when another school slips, (read the recent news on student safety) it’s a great chance to learn and to lead.  It was a reversal of  the phrase “but by the grace of god, there go I”, as Choate learned hard lessons in the 80’s on-campus drug use thing. But this time, Choate did it right in this letter to alums describing in painstaking detail how they ensure safety on campus, appoint a person responsible for the issue by name, and even appoint a third party to audit and serve as an outside contact for issues.

The response was extremely well crafted and well expressed– and I’d be interested to hear what current parents think. It’s one of the reasons I support the school with so much passion. Choate’s legacy is a privilege earned, everyday. Alumni, donate here– Deerfield is gaining!