The Avonian // SPRING 2020
faculty; an overwhelming majority felt Prep4ward’s content was relevant. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, students indicated what they really enjoyed were the small-group discussions, where they had the freedom to ask questions and interact much more personally with the material. “That feedback was really satisfying. Students wanting the small-group discussions suggested that they really wanted the content— they didn’t want to be lectured or presented to but wanted to interact with our faculty in a classroom atmosphere,” Callaghan notes. The students have responded favorably to Prep4ward, and so have other key groups on campus. The Callaghans presented the program to the Parents of Avon as well as the National Council this fall. Commenting on the big-picture nature of Prep4ward’s content, current parent Margot Mineau P’18, ’20 remarked, “It’s not just about these four years, but the next 40.”
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“Last night’s Parents of Avon impressed me beyond words. I cannot imagine the amount of work, hours, effort, and true dedication that went into producing the Prep4ward program. I am grateful that [my son] will have the opportunity to learn and will hopefully take these lessons beyond high school into adulthood.” — C U R R E N T PA R E N T
Although plans for spring 2020 had to be significantly altered, the development of Prep4ward continues with an eye toward the next school year. The changing academic schedule to be implemented this coming academic year (2020-2021) makes room for the Prep4ward period to be a permanent fixture each week, all year long. Based on the feedback from this fall’s programs, the