Switcheroo: Round Two

In morning Chapel, LA Head of School Dan Scheibe led the daily reading and sat in the spot usually reserved for Groton’s headmaster. Afterward, at Roll Call, Mr. Scheibe—wearing two caps, one for each school—took over, eliciting laughs with comical promises about new Groton rules.

 

Assuring students he would not eliminate Groton's Saturday morning classes, he vowed to create a new day—Grotaday—a class-free respite between Saturday and Sunday. Under this plan, he warned, graduation would be delayed until August. He also promised to create Emoji Monday, when communication would be only by text.

 

The mood was light but the message was serious when Mr. Scheibe referred to neighborliness as a moral imperative. While LA's head was on the Circle, Groton Headmaster Temba Maqubela was down the road, delivering his own good-humored announcements at LA. It happened to be "Crazy Sock Day at LA, and Mr. Maqubela showed up with mismatched, brightly colored socks to show his spirit.

At both schools, the switcheroo broke the routine and reminded both communities that they have friends just down the street. The two headmasters dreamed up the switcheroo idea last year to strengthen the connection between the two schools.