Building Good Men
At our first full school assembly this year, I observed hundreds of Crescent students dressed in their Number One finest, surrounded by our faculty and staff, who were seated around the perimeter of the gymnasium where we had gathered. In my opening remarks, I told the boys that the adults around the room were there to support them on their journey to becoming the young men they are destined to be.
Our construction project, which is now well on its way to completion, is an apt metaphor for what I described.
Over the coming months, our new space will take shape. Soon, steel beams will form the structure’s skeleton to which glass windows will be affixed. The roof will be constructed, allowing for the interior walls, floors and finishes to be installed. The accelerated pace of construction is exciting as we see the building literally rise from the ground.
But what of all the work that was done last year, which was largely unseen yet still essential? That work primarily took place below grade and provides the foundation upon which the new building will rest. Without a solid foundation and the central utilities plant that serves as the hub for heating, cooling, and power, our new build would not function.
Character works in much the same way—the strength of a person’s character rests on its foundation. That process begins long before a child enters school, with the values that parents, a child’s first teachers, instill at home. Our school builds upon that foundation, an evolution captured in our mission, Men of Character from Boys of Promise. Our teachers, coaches, and administrators are the agents of this change.
Our role is to support our students’ growth so that, like a building once the scaffolding goes away, they can stand and thrive on their own. By graduation, we can proudly stand aside because our graduates are ready to go out into the world and create their legacy. This is the work that we are committed to doing.
So while it’s important to build buildings, our most critical work is building our students. As a highly relational school, we do this every day through modelling, supporting, and deeply caring for our students. We believe this is what it takes to build good men, the type the world needs today more than ever.
