At Beyond the Frame, we had the opportunity to celebrate something truly special — the ways our students shine.

During Paddles Up, we planned to share a message about our Fine Arts and Practical Electives programs. While the energy of the evening carried us forward in exciting ways, we wanted to make sure you still heard the heart behind that moment.

At the Briarwood and Tuttle Schools, we often talk about how our students learn differently. But just as important is where they shine differently. Whether it’s in the theater, the art studio, the fashion lab, or the kitchen, these spaces are more than electives. They are the labs where life skills take flight. For students who navigate the world differently, executive functioning becomes tangible here. Planning, organization, adaptability, and working memory aren’t abstract concepts — they’re the tools used to follow a complex recipe, design a garment, fire a ceramic piece, or memorize lines under stage lights.

The heartbeat of these programs is best heard through our students:

• Alyssa calls art her “safe place.”
• Mia shares that theater gives her space to release the pressure of perfection.
• Channing, once incredibly shy, says the stage is where she finally feels seen.
• Erin reminds us that improv taught her adaptability — real-world solutions for future challenges.
• Konjit shared that on stage, anxiety fades. “I’m not held back… I feel like I can do anything.”
• Braeden finds freedom and joy in the ability to explore and experiment through art.

These rooms are not just classrooms. They are places of belonging. As many of you saw that evening, our teachers and students are masters of creativity. Cardboard becomes architecture. Limited tools become unlimited ideas. (And yes — sometimes duct tape plays a starring role.)

But that night, we were invited to dream bigger.

We imagined what would be possible with new camera lenses for photography, new xylophones for music, new 3D printers for our maker spaces, improved kiln shelves and a pugmill for ceramics, and much-needed theater upgrades.

In our Lower School maker spaces, we dream of hands-on tools — ChompSaws, engineering equipment, and even LEGO minifigures that spark storytelling and design thinking. At Tuttle, we envision dedicated shelving to properly showcase student artwork and even a spin art machine that brings joy and creative exploration into the classroom. In the humanities, we imagine flexible learning coves that allow for collaboration, reflection, and deeper discussion.

More than equipment, we envisioned spaces that match the talent, energy, and courage our students bring every single day.

Thanks to your generosity, we began moving that vision forward. Your support ensures these programs remain places where confidence grows, anxiety softens, creativity flourishes, and students discover pathways to success that reflect how they see the world.

We are deeply grateful for the way you continue to invest in our mission — not just during a single moment on stage, but throughout the year.

If you were unable to attend or would like to revisit the story behind this vision, we’ve included the video shared that evening below.

With gratitude,

Ms. Michelle Edwards | Arts and Humanities Teachers