Leadership and Character
Our Upper School students are continuously encouraged to pursue high ideals and make a positive difference. A cornerstone of this is our active Honor Code, which calls upon every member of our community to aspire to live by Chadwick’s Core Values: compassion, fairness, honesty, respect and responsibility — and encourage those around them to do the same. As students navigate increasingly complex decisions in their teenage years, upholding our Honor Code enables them to see the immense value in fostering a community where they can both trust and be trusted.
You'll see this commitment to character woven into the very fabric of our school. It’s evident when teachers confidently leave the classroom during tests, trusting students to make the right choices even when no one is watching. It’s apparent when students leave their backpacks — laptops and all — on Vanderlip Lawn, knowing they will be secure upon their return. And it shines brightly on the basketball court when our student-athletes, in the heat of competition, instinctively stop play to care for an injured opponent.
In the Upper School, leadership development goes hand-in-hand with character, as students embrace their responsibility as visible role models for our younger students in the K-12 community.
Leadership Opportunities
Leadership isn't just about a title; it's about action. Our students cultivate leadership both informally — like picking up hallway trash or helping a peer on an Outdoor Education trip — and formally. Upper School students have increasing opportunities to serve in over ten different formal leadership groups, including Honor Council, Student Council, Athletic Council, Diversity Council, Academic Council, Model United Nations Board, as team captains and many others.
Students build the capacity for leadership by serving in roles that demand essential skills and require them to confront real-world challenges; because of this, we aim to give every student who wants to serve in a formal leadership role the opportunity to do so at least once during their Upper School years. Our expert coaches, teachers and advisors work closely with students in these formal roles, providing guidance and support to develop their leadership capacity.
By the end of their Upper School years, they’re fully equipped to be changemakers in college and throughout the rest of their life.
