Skip to main content

A Habit of Making Good Choices



We address boys' character development and wellbeing in several ways: in daily chapel, in our emphasis on manners and the social graces, and through our Sophrosyne classes.

Sophrosyne, an ancient Greek virtue that translates as "excellence of character and healthy state of mind," is characterized by self control, moderation, and awareness of one's true self.  At last Friday's Parents Association Meeting,  Upper School Sophrosyne Coordinator Dr. Evan Morse discussed how the Upper School program (see clip above) helps our boys cultivate virtue - the habit of making safe and ethical decisions - and engages them in moral introspection, which is central to our school's mission.

Some of our work in Sophrosyne is done through our partnership with Common Sense Media and centers around digital citizenship. We also embed it in classes throughout the program, as when seventh and eighth graders study Plato's Republic and debate the core question "Why be good?"

Self knowledge is at the heart of Sophrosyne. When our boys know who they are and respect themselves, they gain the tools needed to respect others and difference in all of its manifestations. "...That they be good men."


For more information about Saint David's School, visit www.saintdavids.org
To see the full archive of past blog posts, please go to: pdavidohalloran.blogspot.com

Popular posts from this blog

The Wisdom Within - A Matter of Trust

The Teaching Boys Initiative (TBI) is a cornerstone of Saint David’s School’s strategic vision, aimed at developing a robust framework of evidence-based best practices in boys’ education. The initiative’s primary goal is to empower educators with the knowledge, skills, habits, and dispositions of reflective practitioners, enhancing their professional growth and the overall quality of teaching and learning for boys.  In TBI's new quarterly blog series, "The Wisdom Within," our faculty share stories that inform, inspire, and encourage reflective practice using evidence-based approaches in teaching and learning for boys.  The following inaugural entry, "A Matter of Trust," was written by reflective practitioner and Master Teacher Tom Ryan, who has been inspiring generations of Saint David's boys for more than 53 years. A MATTER OF TRUST …but, I digress. I cannot possibly begin any writing piece, and/or class, without some digression that, as I have said to my s...
Read more

Jack Mullin '12 : Reflections on a Mom's Love

The Chapel talk tradition at Saint David's provides faculty and alumni with the opportunity to share with our boys meaningful and inspiring personal stories: their experiences, lessons learned, challenges overcome. The annual Fifth Grade Mother-Son Chapel gathers our fifth-grade boys and their mothers or mother figures for a special shared pre-Mother's Day experience; a Chapel Talk by a young alumnus who reflects upon the role his mother has played in his life. This year, we welcomed former Student Council President Jack Mullin '12. Jack's family has deep roots with school. His older brother Patrick graduated in '08 and his dad, Terry, in 1973. Jack's talk centered on the impact both his alma mater and his mother, Immy, have had on his development into the man he is today. Below are excerpts that I would like to share: "My family's multi-generational lineage is a testament to the incredible sense of community Saint David’s fosters, and I too hope I have...
Read more

Strong Values

You can feel it in the air: the indescribable yet readily recognizable excitement of the start of a new school year - in our boys, teachers, families, administrators, and staff. Below, I share excerpts from my opening letter that speak to our 2024-25 school-wide theme, "Strong Values:" "To-morrow I cease to be a puppet, and I become a boy like you and all the other boys."* We teach boys. That’s what we do. And we want our boys to think for themselves. And we want that thinking to be rooted in and guided by “strong values”—our school-wide theme this year, found in the last line of the mission’s second paragraph. In keeping with the school’s classical tradition, these strong values are shaped at Saint David’s by the cardinal and theological virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and courage, along with faith, hope, and charity. To many Western philosophers, possession of these virtues makes a person good, happy, and thriving. Something we want for all of our sons. ...
Read more