Upper School Division News: Jan. 9, 2025

By Mr. Chris Ames, Upper School Division Head

Dear parents and families,

One of the items I regularly post in the upstairs hallway outside my office is a “This Day in History” commentary. The listing for January 8 stated the following: “Elvis Presley receives his first guitar - 1/8/1946.” 

I know. You’re coming up with quite a few questions right now. Stay with me.

Elvis’s first guitar was given to him by his parents. At the time, it was a nice Christmas present, but it certainly didn’t represent a game-changer in an eleven-year-old’s future. As we all know, Elvis would go on to become “The King of Rock and Roll” and forever change music, film, and TV. 

Every day parents provide their children with a wide array of tools to help them be successful in life. Teachers work to impart knowledge, analytical skills, and decision making procedures to enhance their potential. In and of themselves, these gifts may not represent an earth shattering advancement in a student’s development…but sometimes they do.

At Winston, we ask a lot of our students and families, and we strive to provide them with the best foundation possible for whatever the future may hold. Never underestimate the lasting impact of a story, a photograph, an equation’s solution, or a run around the gym. 

I wish you all a wonderful start to the New Year and the new semester, and I look forward to all that our students will accomplish.

From the Upstairs,

Chris Ames