At Ashley Hall, learning extends far beyond the classroom walls. In this new quarterly reflection, A View from the Head’s Office, Head of School Dr. Anne T. Weston ’73 shares stories and observations from across campus, offering insights into the ideas and moments that shape our community and our students’ education.

The Extraordinary Will Take Care of Itself

It was an ordinary afternoon on campus— one of those afternoons here at Ashley Hall where sunlight is slanting through the live oaks, and there is the sound of children at play spilling from the Lower School playground and the Early School Outdoor Classroom. As I passed by, I noticed a group of kindergartners huddled over one of the box gardens. They were excitedly pointing out to one another the features of an insect that one student gently held cupped in her hand. As a biologist myself, I leaned in closer to see and to listen. “Ladybugs eat the bad things in your garden and protect your plants.” “Ladybugs sometimes eat pollen, but it is really the bees that carry the pollen.” “Butterflies carry pollen too, kinda by accident, when they are sipping on a flower.” “We need to put the ladybug back on the leaf so she can be in her natural home.” They were learning from one another, and their teacher just hung back, observing. There had been no prompt except the environment itself; there was going to be no test. It was learning in its purest sense, driven by curiosity and questions. 

Moments like that remind me of a favorite piece by William Martin, who describes himself as poet and friend of quiet places:

Do not ask your children

to strive for extraordinary lives.

Such striving may seem admirable,

but it is the way of foolishness.

Help them instead to find the wonder

and the marvel of an ordinary life.

Show them the joy of tasting

tomatoes, apples and pears.

Show them how to cry

when pets and people die.

Show them the infinite pleasure

in the touch of a hand.

And make the ordinary come alive for them.

The extraordinary will take care of itself.

In a world that celebrates constant achievement, it can be easy to forget that growth often begins quietly, in small, seemingly unremarkable moments of observation, kindness, or connection. The extraordinary outcomes we hope for our students are born in these everyday experiences where we focus on perseverance over perfection, where we acknowledge mistakes as a place for a new start, and where we make space for curiosity and self-expression.

At Ashley Hall, we believe in the power of these moments. Whether it’s in the thoughtful pause before a student contributes in a Harkness discussion, the laughter shared during a performing arts rehearsal, or the quiet focus of a student performing a chemistry lab experiment, learning happens most deeply when girls are given the time and space to be fully present.

The world our students will enter when they move on from Ashley Hall will demand more from them than “simply knowing.”  Facts will be at their fingertips. Instead, the world will require people who can listen, adapt, risk, and act with courage and compassion. These qualities are not taught through the pursuit of the extraordinary—they are nurtured through attention to the ordinary and through the relationships that make our community so strong.

Across campus, I see this truth unfold daily—a sixth-grade Big Sister at recess kneels beside her Little Sister to help her tie her shoe. A senior speaks with grace and conviction in front of her peers, inviting them to participate in a community action project. A Middle School teacher turns an unexpected rainstorm into a spontaneous lesson about the water cycle. None of these moments would make headlines, but together, they create the environment where confidence, empathy, and resilience take root.

If we can help our students see beauty in the everyday, to marvel at what is right in front of them, then we have prepared them well. Because when children learn to be fully alive to their own experiences, the extraordinary truly does take care of itself.

As we continue to reflect, learn, and grow together as a school community, I invite you to stay connected to these conversations. Our new We Are Ashley Hall Podcast offers another way to listen in and engage with the ideas shaping our classrooms and our future. The first episode, “Ashley Hall and the International Baccalaureate,” explores how the IB philosophy aligns with our mission and prepares girls to think critically, care deeply, and act with purpose in a global context. I hope you’ll take a moment to listen and to reflect on what makes our community extraordinary.

I would also like to note that our faculty and staff have embarked on an exciting journey to examine how we spend our time at Ashley Hall through the lens of our school schedule. We are working with two consultants, experts in independent girls’ schools and IB schools, Dr. Shannan Schuster and Dr. Andrew Taylor. Rooted in brain science, research, and what we know about how girls learn best, this work invites us to ask: How does our schedule reflect what our community values? Our goal is to ensure that every aspect of the school day is student-centered—supporting curiosity, engagement, and well-being—while keeping us in stride with the mission and curriculum that define an Ashley Hall education. You’ll hear more about this work in the coming weeks and months. 

I am grateful for the curiosity and commitment that define our Ashley Hall community. Together, we help our students find meaning in each moment of learning, for it is in these small moments that purpose and possibility take root. We make the ordinary come alive.

Dr. Anne T. Weston ’73
Ashley Hall Head of School