PARENT PERSPECTIVE

A Parent Perspective

by Lucinda Santiago P’22

When the Head of School at New City School asked me if we were considering Thomas Jefferson School for our son, honestly, I didn’t know what he was talking about. Ciaran was in fourth grade at that juncture, and we’d only considered the next step for him in the vaguest manner. By sixth grade, friends were already discussing where they hoped their children would attend school and we also began to wonder where our son would thrive.

As is so often the case, once I knew there was a school called Thomas Jefferson, I began running into people who had attended or who had siblings who’d attended. The more I heard about the education TJ was committed to, the more curious I became. St Louis is blessed with a wide selection of excellent schools (at all grade levels). It isn’t an easy task to navigate the options. After open houses, presentations at his primary school, lots of conversations with friends, co-workers and teachers; ultimately, Ciaran whittled his list down to three schools he wanted to visit for a day. Thomas Jefferson School was the third school he visited. I drove him to school and was invited to observe a class with him, then he went along with kids on his own, while a senior toured me around the school, and I had the opportunity to talk with teachers. Frankly, I was blown away. The young woman who toured me was so incredibly well spoken—and clearly smart. Teachers described syllabi that were closer to those I had as a college student than as a high school

student. I observed a discussion among seniors comparing Richard Wright’s Black Boy to the experiences of African-Americans protesting in Ferguson. I attended a public school with about 500 kids in my grade; TJ was a departure. I would not have chosen TJ for myself. There’s no orchestra (pivotal to my attending school at all), and it would not have been easy for me to fly under the radar as I did with several of my academic pursuits. I attended a much smaller college, so I now appreciate the benefits of a smaller community in an academic setting. TJ attracts a more mature student who is willing to take risks academically to grow in a meaningful way. That wasn’t me in high school. At the end of our visit day, I was somewhat overwhelmed with what I’d seen at TJ. Ciaran emerged from Main Building with a smile ear to ear. We got into the car, and I said, “Listen, I know you want to talk about this, but I’ve got a little mental overload, and I need a couple minutes.” We began to drive out of the school grounds and managed to get all the way to the tennis courts before Ciaran said, “Mom, I know you’re not ready to talk about it, but I just want you to know, I think I’ve found my people.” This confirmed two things: looking for a school is not about the parent but about the kid, and—in the right setting—a kid will thrive.

Ciaran graduated from TJ last year. I will not say that his journey was without bumps in the road, but he loved his six years there. Because TJ is small, that allows teachers flexibility to teach to a person rather than to a class. When he struggled, there was support. They kept him challenged throughout. The shorter class length and expectation for students to remain engaged with topics outside of the school day were key to Ciaran’s success. He’s a driven sort of kid who enjoys (and needs) an intense learning atmosphere. He loved the small size; he loved the fast pace; he loved the focus, the workload, and the independence. Occasionally, a parent will call me when their child is interested in TJ. Of course, they want to know the nuts and bolts of the school, which I can, without hesitation, say are amazing. Nope, their basketball team has not won state, and nope, your kid will not receive a computer to use their first day. Yes, there is a dress code, and yes, Fridays are even more formal attire. No, there is not a STEM building, nor is there a formal library. Yes, roughly half of the students in the Upper School are boarders. Yes, your kid will learn Latin and Ancient Greek and either Italian or French, and yes, my Puerto Rican husband had a problem with that (no place is perfect). What is clear to me at the end of Ciaran’s TJ journey is that, without exception, every student who graduates from Thomas Jefferson has been equipped to thrive intellectually and academically wherever they go next. They are curious and confident, they are worldly, and they have the tools to thrive. Last year, as Ciaran graduated, I was honored to be asked to join the Board of Trustees. Looking to the future, Thomas Jefferson School faces some very exciting challenges. It has been a difficult period for everyone as the pandemic put so many hopes and dreams on hold. As all of us begin to move forward toward resuming a semblance of normalcy, Thomas Jefferson School will also resume opportunities for the full community—parents, past and present students, faculty and administration, friends of the institution—to come together. Building a strong future for Thomas Jefferson that will enable the school to continue a tradition of excellence in education working to meet the demands of a changing education landscape is an exciting challenge. I couldn’t be more excited to play a role helping TJ continue to do what it already does so well.