February 24th, 2010
Often in life, we are challenged by obstacles, large and small. Sometimes, we set out on a course of action, only to find our intentions thwarted by seemingly insurmountable hurdles. More often than not, however, if our goals are based upon a powerful idea, backed by passion and infused with hard work, the opportunity for success can find a way to present itself.
Months ago, junior Marisa Martin had an idea. As a leader of the Relay for Life program, a fund-raising drive dedicated to fighting cancer, Marisa began searching for a way to jumpstart the drive, raise early awareness, and perhaps make a few dollars to kick off this year’s appeal. Noting the intense rivalry between Prep and HHCA, she conjured up the idea of a basketball game between the respective faculties of the two schools. What seemed a simple idea, however, soon led to a series of roadblocks which seemed to doom the entire operation.
First, there was trouble finding a date. After all the calling back and forth, only the Saturday night of President’s Day weekend could work. Many adults, certain in their knowledge that not enough faculty would be in town AND that no fans would come out on that particular evening, cast doubts on the success of the venture if allowed to occur on that date. Marisa held firm in her belief that it could work, and forged ahead.
Second, there were questions as to whether, with no entry fee, voluntary donations would be enough to make the event worthwhile. Marisa, apparently a believer in the inherent decency and generosity of people, kept the faith.
Third, a newspaper reporter misquoted Marisa, leading to a public revelation of the fact that the two schools had “hatred” for one another. This snafu, however, was not to derail the Martin express either.
This story does indeed have a happy ending. The faculty members from both schools showed up in droves, playing a competitive and exciting game. The event raised almost $4,000, far more than anyone expected, through a combination of generous donations and concession sales. The field house was packed, and almost 1,000 people from all across the island joined in the support for a worthy cause.
At this point in the blog it is full disclosure time – I was one of those who doubted that the event could be a success. And so I say this to a strong-willed and optimistic young lady: Marisa, thank you for proving me dead wrong, for maintaining your belief in the face of obstacles, for putting on one heck of a show, and - most importantly – for your leadership in the fight against cancer. Job well done!
Categories: Uncategorized
February 9th, 2010
There was a recent column in the Island Packet regarding the manner in which parents should deal with their children when the child asks “Am I good enough to play Division One College Athletics?” The author suggests that one needs to be honest, while remaining tactful and encouraging enough to avoid shattering a child’s dreams. While I believe the overall sentiment of the article was positive, there is actually more – much more – to be said on this subject.
A generation (or two) ago, athletic scholarships were a different ballgame. Sure, some kids qualified – tremendously gifted athletes who were recruited out of their high schools by observant scouts and a reasonably widespread network of informers. There were no elite scouting combines (which cost money), high-level recruiting “camps” (which cost money), travel and club teams with the implicit or explicit promise of a guaranteed scholarship (which cost money), or a series of camps, clinics, recruiting services, strength and speed trainers, personal coaches, and videographers (which cost money), all designed to aid in the holy grail of an athletic scholarship. The pattern is clear – the pursuit of a scholarship is now big business. Children today quit playing multiple sports as early as age six, so they can focus their efforts on a single sport and thus increase their chances for that coveted ride. There is no shortage of highly paid gurus and experts, happy to tutor, train and guide your child. And to what end?
The facts speak for themselves: In most sports, less than one percent of athletes earn a scholarship, and in no sport does the number exceed 1.5%. Additionally, a large majority of scholarships are not “full,” which means they can range from half tuition to books only. A parent can spend up to $100,000 over the childhood years to pay for camps, private lessons, club teams and coaches, only to find that the “investment” returns come in at $8,000 annually for four years for a partial scholarship.
In addition, parents often have no idea what constitutes a college level athlete. For example, what I personally know about evaluating baseball or tennis talent could fit in a gnat’s ear. How could I therefore feel remotely qualified to advise my child on where or at what level he/she could play?
Playing high school athletics is not a means to an end, it is an end in itself. Having fun, getting exercise, enjoying great competition, learning the relationship between hard work and success, experiencing the camaraderie of a team and representing your school are all key components of the wonderful experience that is school sports.
Please understand – I am no enemy of college sports (I was a college athlete myself), or of athletic scholarships (my wife was able to attend Lehigh University largely due to her lacrosse prowess.). I have nothing but the utmost admiration for those young athletes whose hard work, dedication and talent allow them to earn financial support and compete at the highest level. If a student chooses to play club/travel sports or enroll in a tennis/golf academy because they love the game, and/or wish to improve or find tough competition, that’s terrific. I firmly believe that if a student-athlete is good enough, they will be discovered. And for many others, while they may not earn a scholarship, their athletic talent can assist in admission to a highly competitive college, such as an Ivy, Davidson, Williams, or Georgetown.
But at the end of day, let us all endeavor to avoid losing focus. Most of our kids (99%) will not earn athletic scholarships to college. But they will have the opportunity to enjoy a fantastic experience playing here at Prep. In fact, while some consider the “next level” to automatically equate to the most exciting, anyone who witnessed the recent Prep-HHCA boys basketball game might just have to take issue with that contention.
So - Let us all support our young athletes in their drive for excellence, enjoy the games, understand that kids have a wide diversity in their levels of talent, drive and interest – and that in the end, the journey, in this case, is more important than the destination.
Categories: Uncategorized
January 12th, 2010
January 15th – a big date for high school seniors all across the country. This day is the deadline for many college admissions applications; and, as such, creates a high level of anxiety in many a household. This is the beginning of the end – the end taking place of course, over the next three months, as thin envelopes (no thanks!) and thick packets (Congratulations!) reach mailboxes nationwide. But where did it all begin? Well, the college process is a carefully thought out series of developments that begins as a student enters the ninth grade – with the mission of preparing our youth for the upper (high) school to college transition. In the beginning, the recipe is simple; “work hard, play hard.” Get good grades, do lots of stuff, engage in the life of the school. Have fun! As one moves on, things get more complex: Standardized testing enters the fray as ACT, SAT, AP, PSAT, PLAN, and SAT II exams become part of the next three years. As one matures, time is spent with a college counselor, who facilitates a new type of learning process. It turns out that college counseling is a journey about knowing oneself. Students need to be active participants in assessing their personal strengths and weaknesses, in objectively looking at their grades/courses, test scores, and resume accomplishments in order to determine where to look in terms of a college.
College Counseling emphasizes doing what needs to be done as one moves through the process, on time and completely. Excuses for tardiness are non-starters with a university admissions office: “My dog ate the application” just doesn’t cut it with the Harvard Admissions Dean. When the time comes to actually decide where to seek admission, students and their families yearn for the “making of a match.” The match is key, as the “right” college has many ingredients: a place where one can be happy, successful, challenged, interested, and graduate with a greater sense of “what’s next”. Not surprisingly, more than one college can fit the bill – so more than a single application will be filed. This year at Prep, for example, for the current senior class of 42 students, the college counseling office has sent out almost two hundred applications to schools literally all over the country. Small and large, urban and rural, public and private, focused and general, with areas of study offered as diverse as ecological sustainability, golf course management, dance education, international economics, Vietnamese studies, ranch management, and ichthyology. Some strive for the Ivy League (Yale), others desire a football powerhouse (University of Alabama), and yet others seek a campus with a strong political bent (Cal-Berkeley). There are historically black colleges, religiously affiliated colleges, and single-sex schools. In sum, an amazing plethora of choices to be weeded through, absorbed, considered, rejected, desired. The journey is overwhelming and stressful, but also exciting. At the end of the road, off will go our well-prepared graduates to the next phase of life, a new experience, and a thrilling opportunity. Bon voyage!
Anthony
Categories: Uncategorized
November 17th, 2009
As Headmaster, it is often incumbent upon me to articulate the varied advantages of a Hilton Head Prep education. It’s not difficult to reel off an impressive array of benefits, many of which are supported by objective measures. From academics, to athletics, to the Arts, our student outcomes are truly impressive. Yet there are a number of equally important benefits that are not measurable, at least in the traditional sense. For example, how do you measure strength of character, particularly in the face of adversity?
Last month, our varsity girls’ volleyball team provided us with a prime example of why our school, and its supportive community of educators, administrators and involved parents, excels at educating the whole child.
The team travelled to Savannah on a Monday, to play Bible Baptist—a team they had defeated with relative ease earlier in the season. Over the weekend, one of our top players was advised by her doctor to stop playing immediately, as she would most likely need knee surgery to repair an injury. While losing a starter is difficult for any sports team, it has a secondary difficulty in volleyball. It is quite disruptive to change a team’s rotation—and can thus take several days of practice to get accustomed to the new lineup. In this instance, our girls had about five minutes to make the needed adjustments. Given the complexity of the rotation, the team inadvertently committed a series of substitution infractions that gave Bible Baptist a point each time, and eventually, the match.
It was certainly a disappointment to lose that day, yet the team moved on and focused on getting ready for their next opponent. In most cases, that would have been it, end of story. But in this instance - it wasn’t. The following Saturday, this letter from the game’s referee appeared in the Savannah Morning News:
Volleyball players show character
I want to commend the volleyball coaches and players who represented Hilton Head Preparatory School at Bible Baptist recently.
As the official for their game, and to my dismay, I had to penalize Hilton Head Prep for several out-of-rotation infractions. Despite this, the players and coaches remained extremely respectful during play. After the game, the players approached me in order to apologize for their confusion over the lineup due to the loss of one of their teammates the day before.
I am impressed that these young ladies were so gracious to feel they owed me an apology. My congratulations on their sportsmanship. Actions like these are rarely seen in today’s sports arenas. I hope to raise my daughter to be as responsible and as gracious as these players are. Go Dolphins.
- CAROL SCHRETTER
As a parent and a coach of my own children’s soccer teams, I know that all too often kids - and adults - subscribe to the “Winning isn’t everything…it’s the ONLY thing” philosophy. How refreshing it is, then, to take note of a group of girls, whose goal is to win every game they play, behave with grace and dignity when things don’t go their way. That’s a piece of learning that will both stand them in good stead throughout their lives and inspire the rest of us to keep in mind the proper perspective in regards to sports and character. GO DOLPHINS, indeed!
Anthony
Categories: Headmaster
Tags: character, hilton head Prep volleyball, sportsmanship, varsity volleyball
October 6th, 2009
Honoring the scholastic and extra-curricular successes in our students has always been a wonderful aspect of my job. A couple of weeks ago I had the honor of recognizing six very talented Hilton Head Prep students who have the will, intellect and habits of mind to succeed. These six are truly special young people.
Last year, our various parent organizations made the commitment to fund endowed scholarships to honor special students dedicated to the vision of each group. Following the example of the Jim Ferree Golf Outing Committee, who established Hilton Head Prep’s first named scholarship fund in 2006, the Booster Club, the Arts Guild and the Tennis Carnevale Committee each made the commitment to fund scholarships for deserving Prep students. These groups then developed specific criteria for their awards, and, working with school personnel, will name a scholar every year in perpetuity.
While the criteria for each scholar may vary slightly based on extra-curricular commitments, these awards are first and foremost of an academic nature. Each of the following young people strives for success in all areas of their Prep experience.
The Jim Ferree Golf Scholar is to be a superior young person, an honor student with an athletic propensity. This year’s Jim Ferree Golf Outing scholar, Dominic DiGenova, has now held this honor for two years. A senior, he maintains honors level academics, and excels on the Varsity Boys Basketball team.
The Booster Club Scholar must display academic prowess, extraordinary athleticism, strong leadership, teamwork and sportsmanship qualities. De’Ante Scott, the 2009-2010 Booster Club Scholar, is a senior honor student who excels in three Varsity Sports – Football, Basketball and Baseball.
The Hilton Head Prep Arts Guild names two Arts Guild Scholars annually. In addition to being honor students, the Arts Guild scholars must possess extraordinary artistic skills. This year’s winners are both among the top students in their class. In addition, Brittnay Johnston and Jarrett Nixon have had prominent roles in each of the last three performing arts productions. Finally, Jarrett has taken both studio and digital arts during his tenure in Upper School and Brittnay, who excels in the art studio, is currently taking AP Art.
The Tennis Carnevale Committee also names two scholars each year. A tennis scholar must meet all academic requirements of the school and show an athletic propensity in tennis. This year’s winners, the first Tennis Carenvale Scholars, are Senior co-captain of the Girls Tennis Team, Kirsten Jurgensen and 8th grader, Jared Woodson.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all these fine young scholars and to thank the special parents and volunteers who work tirelessly on behalf of the school to provide these opportunities to honor our students.
Anthony
Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: Endowment, Hilton Head Prep, Scholarship
August 25th, 2009
Recession. An ugly word, and one that sends a shiver down the nation’s collective spine. While we all are aware that the economy is cyclical, and that we will suffer through bad times as well as enjoy the good, the rational understanding of a reality does not truly mitigate the sense of unease which can permeate a nation, a state, a town, or a household when economic indicators begin to indicate a downward trend.As unemployment has risen, and incomes have dropped for millions of families, many have begun to reevaluate spending patterns. What is a luxury, and what is a necessity? Can I still afford the daily trip to Starbucks? Do we go to a movie, or rent a DVD? Keep the car for an extra year? And, closer to home, “Can I still afford to send my children to an independent school?”
Various organizations and consultants spent the last six months warning schools across the nation to be prepared for precipitous drops in enrollment. Numbers ranging from ten to as large as fifty percent enrollment declines had been predicted. Schools slashed budgets, laid off teachers, and cut salaries. Uncertainty has become a fact of life.
I believe, however, that providing the best education for one’s child is not a luxury - and never has been. We are now moving through uncertain times into an uncertain future, certain to be characterized by an increasingly global economy, technological innovation as a constant, and a high demand for people who are creative, flexible learners. As such, allocating family resources for a high-level, 21st century education designed to prepare children to be successful (by every measure) as they move into the future must never be considered an expense – but rather an investment. An investment in the future of one’s child – and by extension – one’s town, state, nation and world. The word we all use for our beloved school says it all – we endeavor to PREP each child for leadership in the years to come.
There is, simply put, no substitute for a superior education. Clearly, many people agree with this statement. I am proud of my school and my community. Defying the national gloomy predictions, Prep has opened this year with 432 students enrolled, the same number the school enjoyed last May. That equates to a ZERO percent decline. Families opened up their hearts, decided they know what is best for the children, and made a great choice: Hilton Head Prep.
Until the next blog,
Anthony
Dr. Anthony Kandel, Headmaster
Categories: Uncategorized
August 6th, 2009
August 6th - The first blog – I aspire to be interesting!
I have now been on the island for four weeks. I have enjoyed the Harbourtown fireworks from Calibogue Cay, enjoyed some excellent seafood, biked around Sea Pines, paid the irritating toll too many times (I have to get that Palmetto Pass!), and have begun to meet some wonderful people. We are still digging out from under boxes and getting unpacked, but things are beginning to feel more like home and less like a warehouse. My wife, Annie, and my kids, Abby, Matthew and Allison are busy exploring the island, attending Prep summer camp, and settling into the house. Most importantly, I am very excited to have gotten started at Prep. I have had meetings with my administrative team, connected with several board members, supervised the new construction occurring at school, and settled into my office.
First and foremost I wish to invite you to stop by and say hello. My door is always open and I am anxious to meet many students and families. I would love to hear your impressions of the school and how you think I can make Prep an even better place for our kids. Also – do not hesitate to recommend a restaurant or two.
I plan to use this blog as an avenue of communication with parents and the community at large. The messages will run the gamut of subjects – from academics to athletics to just my random thoughts – and I will always appreciate and invite feedback from readers. I want to start conversations as well as inform. I also encourage ideas for future blog topics.
I have already felt the warmth of this special community and my family and I are thrilled to be a part of it and excited for the future.
See you in August!
Anthony
Dr. Anthony Kandel, Headmaster
Categories: Headmaster
Tags: education, Headmaster, hilton head, palmetto pass in hilton head, prep
