We are now officially a quarter into the 21st century -- living in a fast-paced, always-changing and complex world. It is also an age of ubiquitous distractions, with information, messaging, and stimuli coming at us seemingly nonstop by byte and swipe. Great schools however, are often counter-cultural. The shared strong values our school community celebrates this school year spring from the classical and theological virtues -- prudence, temperance, courage, justice, faith, hope, and charity -- which all require us to slow down and fully engage in order to lead productive and fulfilling lives. Throughout our program, we seek for our boys to discover the necessity and reward of focusing, close looking, and contemplation. Three recent examples come to mind. " How does this painting make you feel?" This question was asked by a second grader about Sonia Delaunay's orphism piece Prismes Electriques during a recent culminating event for parents and faculty at the Gu...