Excellence and Empathy in Our DNA
By Aléwa Cooper
Head of School
I want to start by saying how much the Foote educators and I appreciate our families' commitment to their children's education and growth. The partnership between families and educators sometimes gets lost in our daily lives, but we know this collaboration is at the heart of our student’s children’s success.
Yes, Foote is a school, and as adults, we know what schools do because we’ve all been a student at a school at some point in our lives. I bet many of us remember taking Spelling Tests on Fridays, memorizing state capitals, writing book reports, etc., and because of this, sometimes we take for granted that we all know schools are about educating children. One of our primary goals is to provide your children with the highest quality education, one that challenges them to think critically, problem-solve, and grow as lifelong learners. In every class, we’re focusing on building strong foundations in all subject areas while also encouraging creativity, collaboration, and independent thinking.
The world in which I grew up is not the same as what children are experiencing now. Yes, there were challenging things happening in the world then, but somehow, it felt safer to make a mistake. It was easier to “act my age,” and at least in my life, school was school, and I had one job: study and get good grades.
In 2024 when we talk about school and education, we cannot only think about academics. We must now think about the whole child and their experience — not just in the classroom but how they engage with peers on the playing fields, on the stage, and in their social interactions. We need to consider what “playing” looks like in their daily lives because they can now “play” with friends who are not in their presence. But make no mistake: academics are at the core of everything we do. We want our children to excel and grow in all areas.
As educators, we spend a lot of time researching and considering what skills and knowledge your children will need to thrive in a world where some of the fundamental tasks and skills can now be done in a few seconds or minutes. The research continues to show us that there is a correlation between fully engaged students and feeling supported socially and emotionally in their school communities. Simply put, a balanced and healthy school experience helps them perform at their best academically.
Two parents recently reminded me that Foote students are kind and smart. They’re bright, capable, and curious, and they show us every day that they are ready for the challenges we present to them. We know that with the right support, they can achieve great things—not only in their studies but in all aspects of their development.
Our educators are experts in their fields, experts at teaching, understand the developmental needs of their students, and have a firm grasp on how we will give these students what they need in each classroom. While we want academic success, we know that does not come without our professional excellence. As educators, we’ve dedicated our lives to honing our craft to ensure that your children receive an exemplary educational experience.
A Foote education is both vigorous and rewarding, and we’re excited to share that with you.
It’s important that you know that while we spend the majority of our time thinking about what your children need, we are thinking about you as well. On August 28, the surgeon general issued an advisory on parental stress and mental health. As I said, the world our children experience is different than the world we experienced as children. They navigate more, and so we as parents must navigate more. We work hard to ensure your children know they belong and are supported here at Foote, and we want you to know that you are as well.
We encourage you — no, we beseech you — as parents and guardians, to be active partners in this journey and on this campus. Your support, involvement, and engagement are invaluable in helping our school community thrive. And, we want you to thrive as parents as well, so we are increasing opportunities for you to talk to us in our professional capacities as well as talk to one another. Be sure to read "This Week at Foote" each week to learn more about the ways we plan to come together. You can learn from our parent talks, connect with administrators and each other at parent coffees and affinity groups, and give back to the school community by helping to take care of our chickens and garden and volunteering to plan PTC events that cannot happen without your help.
As I said in my summer letter, I read a lot, and I also spent a lot of time considering what makes Foote unique — or as one parent put it, what’s in Foote’s DNA, and what is in our secret sauce. While having smart and kind students is in our DNA, there are various experiences that make up the ingredients of our special sauce. One of those ingredients is our 9th-grade international trip. We’re excited to announce that this year our ninth graders will travel to China in March! We look forward to re-establishing this relationship with our sister school, Yali in Changsha. Please be on the lookout in our communications for more of these “ingredients” as the school year progresses.
Thank you again for your partnership. Together, we can help your children succeed not just academically, but in all areas of their lives.