A New Chapter
One of the most exhilarating occasions at Crescent each school year is Offer Day. It begins with a small group of Navy SEAL-style operatives consisting of staff, students, parents, and alumni stealthily placing giant ties on the doors of prospective family homes in the wee hours of the morning. For discerning families, it marks the end of an arduous and stressful period of school selection. For both groups, it is a moment of wading into the dark, in the hope of a new and bright chapter together.
This year was a little different—we added a few more ties for incoming Grade 1 and 2 families. Over the past few months, we have been overwhelmed by families interested in having their boys join our newly expanded primary division, who share our belief that it is never too early to begin educating boys to become good men. It has been incredible to imagine and then realize this exciting evolution of our school.
What many people don’t know is that Grades 1 and 2 are part of Crescent’s history. Under the leadership of Crescent’s youngest and longest-serving Headmaster, W.R.E. Williams (1930–1956), the School catered exclusively to boys aged 7 to 14. He believed that the aim of our school was “to develop right and vigorous character, at an early age, and to guide the boys in their responsibilities to their fellows.” Those primary-aged boys continued at the School until it moved its campus from Dentonia Park to Bayview Avenue in 1970. It was only then that the School decided to drop Grades 1 and 2 to make way for an Upper School.
In many ways, we are returning to what we know best. Character today is the bedrock upon which all else lies, as it was for Williams. “Every action and every thought, however important or however trivial, has some influence upon character,” he said. It is why educating boys for a life of character must begin immediately upon school age. Our teachers will challenge the boys to be resilient and resourceful, but they will also inspire them to be good and loving. The former ensures they will acquire “résumé” virtues; the latter ensures they will develop “eulogy” virtues. As Crescent turns the page to begin a new chapter, we do so knowing that any investment in boys to become good men is a wise one.
Now is an especially fitting moment to expand the Crescent experience. Breakthrough 2030 calls us to deepen our commitment to The Crescent Way by strengthening the continuum of learning we offer—so a boy’s journey can be more cohesive, connected, and confidently guided from his earliest years onward. Just as importantly, the nearing completion of the Our Way Forward capital campaign and associated construction project has created the space to thoughtfully welcome our youngest learners, with classrooms and play areas designed for how boys in Grades 1 and 2 learn, move, and grow. And finally, the promise we see in our newest recruits make the case most powerfully. There has never been a greater time for good men in our world, and we can’t wait to welcome this next generation of Crescent students—young men in the making—who will shape the future with character, courage, and purpose.
