Category: HeightsCast

What Winston Churchill once said of buildings, we too can say of family culture. Namely, that we first shape it, and thereafter it shapes us. Indeed, this is especially true for our children, who are particularly impressionable. Whether it is the artwork in a classroom, a coach’s demeanor on the sports field, or that stack of books in the living room, our children notice and are formed by everything that surrounds them. Although summer break is now in full swing, parenting has no vacations. Rather, in many ways parenting intensifies…

If the recent pandemic has taught us anything, it is that the unexpected is to be expected. While certainly not always easy, we have also perhaps learned that the unexpected can be an invitation for adventure, if only we have the eyes to see it as such. Indeed, for many students around the country, the unexpected pandemic was a spur to the adventure of a gap year–or two. Now, as many of our students will begin–or perhaps return–to college in the coming months, it is fitting that we revisit an…

In his famous intellectual and spiritual autobiography, Orthodoxy, G.K. Chesterton remarks that the main problem for philosophers is how they can “contrive to be at once astonished at the world and yet at home in it.” The attainment of this double need–for surprise and for security–is, he maintains, at the heart of human happiness.   Modernity poses similar questions to educators who, though at home in classical and medieval thought, nevertheless desire to prepare their students to live in the middle of the world.  Namely: How can we root our students…

Missed Part I? Click here. Continuing last week’s conversation, in this episode Dr. Newport delves into two things that have become ubiquitous in our lives: texting and email. Whether it is logistical texts with our kids or emails for work, these two technologies can occupy a large portion of our days. Indeed, even a quick text or email can cost us time, as we shift our attention between different contexts.  While texting and email may by now feel like second nature, have we ever stopped to think about how best…

It has been said that the choice is not between philosophy and no philosophy, but between good philosophy and bad philosophy; for to have no philosophy is itself a philosophy, albeit a disastrous one. The same holds true for digital technology which, although often vital in the modern world, can be dangerous if used mindlessly. For these next two episodes, we welcome back Dr. Cal Newport, professor of computer science at Georgetown University and New York Times bestselling author of seven books, including Digital Minimalism and A World Without Email. In…

Click here to watch the follow-up webinar for this episode. While summer is a time for rest and relaxation, it is also an opportunity for personal growth. Indeed, the increase in external freedom, which the summer months often afford our sons, provides an occasion for growth in interior freedom.  In this week’s episode, Mr. Joe Cardenas, head of mentoring at The Heights School, discusses how you can help your son make the most of the summer months. To this end, Mr. Cardenas suggests looking at the summer from two perspectives:…

Click here to watch a recording of the follow-up webinar for this episode. What is present in every Platonic dialogue, the subject of one of Cicero’s famous letters, and the kind of relationship Christ wished to have with his twelve apostles and with each of us? It is friendship. From facebook friends to philosophic treaties, 70’s songs to Tennyson poems, we hear about friendship in many different contexts. But what is authentic friendship? How do we foster it? How do we help our children grow in their friendships? And in…

Mr. de Vicente concludes this three part series on raising iGen. Given the forces and impact of our digital world and general culture, our headmaster presents considerations and strategies for parents seeking to accompany their sons on the path to Christian Manhood. Below is the recording from Mr. de Vicente’s follow-up webinar:

Mr. de Vicente continues his discussion of iGen, turning from the protecting, distracting, unsettling forces that have affected our sons to the impact of those forces on their character. Click here for episode 1.

Our headmaster begins a three episode series on iGen. In today’s episode, Mr. de Vicente explores the influences and forces that have overprotected, distracted, and unsettled our sons. In this episode, Mr. de Vicente references a previous episode on the Stressed Son and Teenage Anxiety.  Listen to this companion episode here. Click here for episode 2: The Impact on Our Sons Click here for episode 3: Strategies and Considerations for Parents Fully Aware