Bona Verba from the Headmaster
As I take a moment to reflect on our first week, I am filled with a sense of gratitude and excitement for the new year ahead. This first week of school has been nothing short of remarkable. Both students and teachers embraced the opportunity to return to our classrooms, reunite with friends, while adjusting to new schedules and routines. The enthusiasm of our students permeated our school halls, creating a joyful but well-ordered atmosphere that sets an inspiring tone for the year ahead.
In our classrooms, we witnessed the power of engaged discussions, the beauty of eager participation, and the unmistakable presence of a genuine love for learning. These are all at the heart of our educational mission, and they were on full display throughout the week. It is moments like these that reaffirm our shared commitment to excellence.
As we continue to bask in the delight of a remarkable first week, I’m excited to share some updates and forthcoming milestones with you.
During Week One, we extended a warm welcome to 62 new students who have joined our school community this year. Additionally, 16 new faculty and staff members joined our team, contributing their expertise and passion to our educational mission.
Looking ahead, next week marks a particularly special occasion as we eagerly await the arrival of the CLASSICAL Class of 2036. We will be extending a warm welcome to 96 new kindergarten students, each embarking on the joyful challenge of a classical K-12 education.
We are also excited to announce the launch of some new programs that foster our school mission. Although currently being offered as extracurriculars, our new orchestra and band programs are set to evolve into full-fledged sequences of music courses in the coming years as we expand into the Upper School grades. This growth allows us to provide a more comprehensive and enriching musical education for our students.
Furthermore, we are introducing a schola cantorum (“school of singers”) and an oratory club. These initiatives are designed to lay the foundation for our future Upper School programs in choir, speech, debate, and mock trial. They represent opportunities for our students to develop strong communication skills and engage in intellectual and civil discourse.
As we move further into this academic year, our faculty and staff will continue to foster an environment where curiosity is encouraged, where the pursuit of knowledge is an ongoing, shared endeavor, and where civility, respect, and empathy are embraced. That commitment serves as the cornerstone of our educational mission and positions us to reach new heights of achievement in the year ahead.
I invite you to share in my excitement for what lies ahead in the 2023-24 school year. Together, as a united school community, we will press forward with our commitment to develop the minds and nourish the hearts of our students through a content-rich curriculum in the classical liberal arts and sciences, with instruction in moral character and civic virtue.
Mr. Michael Rose
Meet the Headmaster
Mr. Rose has taught various courses at Brown University, Cincinnati Moeller, and The Summit Country Day School. As a part of his degree work in education, Mr. Rose’s research interests included the Great Books curriculum, the Paideia teaching method, and the “effects of emerging digital technology on student reading, writing, and researching.” Read More