Willingness is an action word, and if you’re sitting down and filling out an Eagle Rock School application for admission for the May 2016 trimester, you’re already taking action and showing willingness. We like that.
And while we’re eagerly looking forward to welcoming a new group of 15- to 17-year-old young men and women to our mountainside campus, our newest students must display a willingness to commit to change. Primarily, that means changing the circumstances of their current educational experience.
Applicants need to alter the focus of their thinking — and actions — to discard notions of things they can’t do in exchange for pursuing things that they can do, because the focus of Eagle Rock isn’t limited to academic growth. It also encompasses a desire to grow emotionally and socially, in addition to acquiring the type of academic proficiency required of clearly stating and being equipped to handle what you’re going to do after Eagle Rock.
We want new members of our unconventional student body to be willing to explore the ways they’ve been coping and dealing with issues in the past and be willing (there’s that word again) to put away those methods and exchange them for more successful habits. This could require some mediation, restorative conversations and counseling.
And while we’re not by any means an alcohol or drug rehab facility, our new students won’t have access to mind-altering substances — legal or illegal — or tobacco products. In addition, applicants shouldn’t be on psychotropic medications, should not have severe behavioral or mental health concerns, and they should not have a problem with substance abuse.
What we’re looking for is open-minded students who want to make the most of their high school experience and actively pursue intellectual as well as personal growth. And some of that will require hanging tough when faced with people, places and things that just won’t fall into your concept of how things should be operated.
If all of these “daunting don’ts” seem reasonable to you and you’re ready to make a change for the better, get your application to us before the Monday, Nov. 30 deadline. That’s a week away. Think of it as your first commitment to change and reengaging in your own education.
Learn more about Eagle Rock School admission requirements here: http://eaglerockschool.org/about-eagle-rock-school/admissions/