It’s not always easy to raise a boy. There is seemingly a constant concern about the crisis in boys’ social development, mental and emotional health, and scholastic achievement. The cultural winds can batter and worry even the most optimistic parents among us. However, there’s ample evidence that boys can be successfully reached, can learn, grow, and be taught using proven pedagogy and an approach that focuses on the relational dimension of teaching and learning. We focus on this relational dimension at Saint David's and, guided by our founding faith, we ground that dimension in kindness. As I wrote in my opening letter, kindness speaks to the core essence of a “good man” or a gentle-man. In fact, and in practice, going against a broader popular culture that does not always celebrate kindness is the work of our school. Kindness does not necessarily equate to being "nice" or "cheerful." Acts of kindness can very well be keeping expectations for behavior high,...