Becoming Birchwood: 'Your Story Is Our Story'

by HELENE DEBELAK
Director of Curriculum

For 40 years, Birchwood has aimed to fulfill our mission: “ ... to equip children to lead a life of becoming - growing, thriving, and flourishing – through the development of intellect and character.” 
 
Our teachers have planted seeds of good character in young hearts and laid a foundation for academic excellence in eager minds. Birchwood prepares children to embrace their teen years and young adulthood, ready and able to grasp opportunities, face challenges, and overcome obstacles. THAT’s Birchwood’s story. 
This year we have been inviting our alumni to share THEIR  stories, i.e., to share how Birchwood has played a part in their “Becoming” – the fruit of the flourishing tree. They are our 40th anniversary celebration!
 
Here are excerpts from some of the stories:
 
“Congratulations on Birchwood’s 40th anniversary! We look back at our children’s Birchwood years with great fondness.  As a beacon of academic excellence, we continue to see Birchwood’s positive impact on our now adult children (and us!) to this very day: the journey to pursue excellence is in itself the reward, and everything else is icing on the cake.  Above all, it is Birchwood’s dedicated and tireless staff that we admire the most.  You instilled a sense of purpose and worth in our children, and for that we will always be grateful.  And who can forget “the Order”?  Thank you for all that you do and best wishes for another 40 years and beyond.”
 – Vince and Kimberly Chan (parents of Clive ’12 & Laurie ’15)
 
“Birchwood was a healthy, nurturing environment that emphasized high achievement and goal-setting. This fostered high standards plus the confidence and know-how to realize these standards.” 
 – Seth Matthews ’92, Carnegie Mellon, engineer
 
“It is impossible to describe the myriad of memories that I think of when Birchwood is mentioned. From cozy Reading Days that indulged and grew my love for books to after school Power of the Pen practice sessions, intensive geometry lessons with Mr. D at the blackboard, and the friends who are my companions even to this day – Birchwood has truly built the foundations for my life.
“As I grow older, I realize more and more the value of Birchwood’s education system. Being taught to think and analyze rather than route memorization for a grade has made me adaptable to any kind of situation. 
“The integrity and leadership lessons instilled in Birchwood’s curriculum still ground me and raise my standards for myself, even today. Most of all, the value of human character and how to treasure all of humanity is what gives me hope and drives me forward.
“When I was in eighth grade, we prepared for my last ever Poetry Show. Mrs. D showed us a film about the Romantic poet John Keats as background for one of the poems we performed, an excerpt from Keats’ ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn.’ Recently, as I wrestled with questions of responsibility and leadership, of morals and choices – indeed, the very morals that Birchwood taught me to always hold in high esteem – this quote returned to me:

‘Beauty is truth, truth beauty — that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.’
 
“The truth, hard as it is sometimes, is beautiful. And Birchwood is what has set my life in a direction that seeks to follow that truth and honor it every day.
“Thank you to all the teachers who have given so much for generations of students and have made this place what it is. Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Debelak for your dream and for never compromising on what a great education really is. Thank you, Birchwood.”
 – Naomi Wu ’16, Northwestern University
 
“Birchwood was a unique environment where both our children learned the value of education and character. After being in a number of schools, our children found home away from home. The teachers set high academic standards and provide the nurturing environment to achieve it. Birchwood is a place where excellence is the norm and each child is not only encouraged to achieve it but succeed in their efforts. The teachers are our true partners because they do not consider the children as ‘students,’ but as their own wards and help us raise wonderful civic-minded, outstanding citizens of society.” 
 – Drs. Srinivasan and Jaividhya Dasarathy (parents of Anirudh ’12 & Dhweeja ’17)
 
“Graduating from Birchwood School was a rite of passage for me in 2012. We were given the tools to build a new foundation for a new tomorrow ... I loved my time at Birchwood School and hope to use my experience to build a better world.” 
  – Alexander Hageman ’12
 
Submit your family’s story: Please send your memories and stories to
tlabar@birchwoodschool.org. A couple of sentences is fine, but please stay under 500 words.

Helene Debelak is Director of Curriculum at Birchwood School of Hawken. She and her husband, Head of School Charles Debelak, founded Birchwood in 1984. Mrs. Debelak’s writing provides parents with information about sound educational principles and child development issues gleaned from a lifelong career of educating children across a variety of subjects, for which she has earned multiple education honors. This article appeared in the May/June 2024 edition of the school's monthly newsletter, "The Clipboard." 
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