September 13, 2007 10:00 PM

in loco parentis

Recently, in our summer reading seminars, I was struck by one young student's grasp of the issues surrounding Afghanistan and larger global issues vis a vis her reading of The Places In Between. That she chose the less-selected book--most of the school opted for the novel The Kite Runner--struck me first and foremost, but when she told me she was onto another book about Afghanistan---that floored me. To the extent to which she was informed and articulate about the complex issues surrounding both the text and the country, and the United States' relationship with it, equally astounded me. As it turns out, her father recommended both books to her,
and under her father's influence she was doing this extracurricular reading. For a parent to be able to motivate his student to read this way, with this depth and engagement, speaks of real success on his part. The point is, it isn't always the teachers doing all the work to prepare these students, despite the fact that they are away at boarding school--The success of any good boarding school is reliant on how much the parents at home buy into the program and support it.

Parents who come to see field hockey games or soccer games or football games, whatever the venue--often times bringing home-cooked food--add to the experience in ways that the students value immensely. The contact that parents have with faculty is vital as well; those lines of communication allow for the "in loco parentis" to be authentic, genuine, true to the source.

Parents support their children in all sorts of ways. Faculty do as well. The important point is that these two groups of people work together in a team to help nurture and cultivate these children who they are responsible for, and it is an effective team effort here at Mercersburg.