Recipe for Happiness and Success

By Dean of Academics and Student Life Dave Jenkins
My wife, daughter and I have been going to Cabo San Lucas during spring break for years. This year was no exception. The weather in Cabo this time of year is not much different than in San Diego. In Cabo, however, there is no lawn for me to mow or other things on my “honey-do” list. Much of our time during spring break is spent relaxing and reading. While on break this year, I read Shawn Achor’s The Happiness AdvantageAchor suggests most people follow the formula “you work hard, you become successful and then you become happy.” For students, this often means “if I work hard, I will get that good grade and then I’ll be happy.” Achor suggests that the formula is broken and argues that happiness breeds success. I don’t disagree with him.

During my 15 years at La Jolla Country Day School, I would say the least happy students are those who struggle in their classes. I often see students working so hard to be successful and begin to lose sight of being happy. Often, their success is defined as building a transcript of AP and honors classes that will help them compete for acceptance to the right colleges. I think, rather, that putting together a balanced schedule of classes is an important ingredient in every student’s recipe for happiness and ultimate success. Fortunately, in the Upper School, every student has a team. That team consists of you the parent, your child’s teachers, your child and his or her respective dean. These teams work best when they have built relationships over the course of the year that have a foundation of trust. Each team aims for student happiness and success as the teenager navigates growing independence, varied and changing interests, friendships and the Upper School curriculum.

As we come to the close of this academic year, we have begun the course selection process for next year. Teams have some very important work to do these next few weeks, and the work has already begun. Students have received their initial course recommendations and completed their course selection forms. The deans will facilitate grade-level meetings over the next couple of weeks. These meetings are attended by all faculty who teach students in a particular grade.

Course selection forms for every student in that grade are reviewed and discussed as necessary. Faculty who have taught each student and know that student best in an academic setting consider the student’s course choices, recommendations, the number of AP and honors classes, and extracurricular activities when assessing each of their course choices.

When their professional opinions differ from that of a student, the dean takes note and initiates a discussion with the student—and often the parent. With students’ happiness and success at heart, when we engage in conversations, we compose a plan for next year that will place them in appropriately rigorous academic classes that will challenge them academically and allow time enough to participate in and explore other interests.

It is an exciting time of year, and I look forward to the conversations we will be having in the upcoming months. We are on the same team, and I want to help students create balance and put themselves in a position to be happy, successful and the best version of themselves.
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