When you enroll your child at Hyde don’t be surprised if you wind up on the faculty.*(1)

A lot of schools can give you a second chance. But how many can give you a second second chance?

Take a bus to the prom…..and have more fun than you thought you could.*(2)

Public speaking goes on 24-7.

Walk down our halls and our kids will give you seven: 2 eyes, 5 fingers.*(3)

Parents stop worrying about grades. Ninety eight percentof their kids go to college.

We’ll give you a nickname…for life. *(4)

We try to have our private conversations in public.

When the chef had his Ipod stolen, the kids did everything they could to retrieve it. They were unsuccessful and then they took up a collection and bought him a new one.

Yeah, a lot of schools give effort grades. But have you ever seen them really mean something?

At graduation, seniors get their diplomas. Parents get their diplomas. (Huh?) Each year we even have a few alums return and get their diplomas. (Double Huh?)

Sometimes we have to stop everything and have a full-blown student bust. That’s a good thing. Sort of like Drano for the soul and conscience.

Imagine a parent getting kicked out of Parent’s Weekend. That happens sometimes.

Did you ever see criticism be a good thing?

At Parent’s Weekend, many a mom and dad take the stage to perform for their children.

Our big, tough football players sing and dance. Our artsy (and occasionally geeky) singers and dancers play football. It’s all good.

I sang “Have A Little Faith In Me” in front of an audience that included John Hiatt. With a wink (I think), he told me I was ruining his song. Then he helped me master it. *(5)

Whether home or away, we always leave the locker room cleaner than we found it. *(6)

We’ve got students playing sports they’ve never played. Sometimes they’re coached by teachers who have never played the game either. It’s cool. *(7)

Every student, every teacher, every parent…sings a solo.

Imagine an Honor Code that works better in practice than it does on paper. Now, imagine that we’re not kidding.

Asterisks:

*(1) In 2007-08, there were 21 former parents on the faculty.

*(2) We used to all take limos but the whole conspicuous consumption thing got out of hand.  So now we either borrow faculty member’s cars (Note: none of the faculty own limos) or we take the bus.  Either way, we have a blast.

*(3) After a recent (4/08) Spring Family Weekend at Woodstock, a mother exclaimed, “At Hyde, even the faculty dogs look you straight in the eye when you encounter them!”

*(4) Signed: “Speed Racer”

*(5) Singer-songwriter John Hiatt joins with Michael McDonald each winter to conduct an annual songwriting workshop for students.  They write and record songs that they also perform on a live FM radio broadcast.  The program also includes a week at studios in Nashville.  Both John and Michael are Hyde alumni parents.

*(6) Each February the Hyde-Bath basketball team and fans descend upon the Augusta Civic Center (ACC) for the state basketball tournament.  One year as our fans were filing out of the ACC after a game, a janitor pulled Hyde President Malcolm Gauld aside and said, "I probably shouldn't say this, but my guys and I always cheer for Hyde at this thing.  Not only do we love watching your players and your fans, we also know that we don't need to clean up after the Hyde folks.  Fact is, my guys fight over who gets the job of cleaning up the Hyde section after you guys leave."

*(7) At most schools, team sports are only for the kids who are already good at them.  Whether a championship team or in the midst of a losing seasons – and we’ve had plenty of both – every kid plays, every teacher coaches.