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  • Roots and Wings

    Leo Marshall
    March 27, 2012

    There is no more joy in my life as an educator than to see a boy or girl truly take flight. The shy boy who finds himself with a gift for debate, or the girl who never has run track, takes a risk, and becomes a college record holder. To scan the unknown below and drop in when one wants to is what life is about. We know this, so we must let our children experience this.

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  • What Will You Do with Your Child's Moment in Time?

    Leo Marshall
    November 4, 2011

    I recently took a tour of the Hall of Life in our Raymond M. Alf Museum of Paleontology. Its renovation is complete, and the enormity of the project has been amazing to witness. As I toured the new exhibits during the grand reopening, I saw something that caught my eye just inside the entrance. There on the wall is a quote that Ray Alf was famous for: “What will you do with your moment in time?” - an exhortation of sorts, a call to seize the moment, “Carpe Diem!” It’s all Ray Alf and I so wish I could have met him.

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  • In Defense of Childhood

    Leo Marshall
    August 3, 2011

    I recently received a call from a mother, a doctor, who wanted me to give her names of elementary schools in the area. After offering a list of public and private schools without suggesting which was best, I was then asked what I thought the best way to prepare her child for our school. I’ve learned from experience that this is essentially what we call the “red flag” question. To translate: ‘Which school will guarantee my child will qualify for your school.’ Of course, there is no such school since every school has its own strengths and philosophy about the ends of education but I was curious...

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  • Leo Marshall

    They're Teenagers After All

    Leo Marshall
    January 14, 2011

    We have a wonderful tradition at Webb, just prior to our students leaving for winter holiday. Our boys line the walkways to the girls’ dormitories with candles in preparation for an evening of caroling, hot chocolate and, of course, Santa Claus (actually one of our revered venerable teachers but, then, no one is telling). They practice heartily before going off to each girls’ dorm. The girls, of course, love it even more so when the tradition ends with the boys inviting them to their annual Christmas party. They all march together to be welcomed by one dormitory’s courtyard bristling with lights carefully draped over the trees, some neatly so and some others… well, you get the point.

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  • Leo Marshall

    The Middle

    Leo Marshall
    October 25, 2010

    I remember those very large classes in high school where anonymity was more common than notoriety. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my high school - it was large, noisy, and just plain fun. But it was so easy to cruise by being in the middle where most of us lived. No, I am not saying those of us in the middle were not capable of being superior students. Most of us were simply bursting with unrecognized talent and because we were not the very top students we were not separated out into our own classes, which is what they did back then. It was “tracking” in every sense of the word but no one told us so. We were allowed to happily muddle along, get decent grades, and enjoy the ride.

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