Category: HeightsCast

The moment that each of us was born, we stepped into what Chesterton referred to as the supreme adventure of life.  To be born, he wrote, is to enter a sort of fairy tale, from which follows certain important questions.  What are the rules?  How does this world work?  Who are the good characters and who are the bad ones?  What is the plot?  Most importantly, who am I in this story?  In this week’s episode, we bring you the first part of a lecture delivered by Mr. Alvaro de…

Prof. Eddie Smith, former Heights faculty and long time history teacher at American University, shares a few moments with us on Frederick Douglass to prepare listeners for Saturday night’s Heights Lecture. Who was Frederick Douglass and how did he, a liberated slave, so dramatically change the course of American history? Enjoy this HeightsCast recorded in Hoban’s Pub in Washington D.C.

Athletics are many a boy’s first love. So many of our own students are passionate for sport–a transformative conglomeration of play and work, melded into one sweaty contest against others and the self. Indeed, our School has helped produce numerous Division I, II, and III athletes over the years. That said, the Washington D.C. area is leading the charge towards the continued professionalization of youth sports. Overuse injuries, club-team culture, and parental over-involvement can backfire on your attempts to instill good character in your athlete. Mr. Alex Berthe, a coach,…

This week’s HeightsCast features Mr. Tom Cox, one of the engineers of the Heights Core Humanities Sequence, who discusses the capstone 7th grade course. Our 7th graders tackle Latin and English simultaneously. How? Why? Listen in to find out. At The Heights, diagraming a sentence in two separate languages can lead to clarity of thought and the good moral life.

Mr. Joe Cardenas applies his years of experience in advisory to the tricky subject of devices.åÊ As with many things, the best way to teach good values, is to practice them ourselves.

Dr. Mehan looks at whether this novel is a true image of apostasy and of Christian martyrdom.

This week on HeightsCast, we listen to an excerpt from Tom Cox’s Heights Lecture on the virtues exhibited by Samwise Gamgee from J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, and how the study of this stouthearted hobbit is important in the formation of a middle school student.

Seneca’s writing and wisdom are not outdated. In fact, they are relevant and helpful now more than ever. Dr. Matt Mehan explores two of Seneca’s Epistles dealing with good use of time and the imprudence of fearing an unknown future. The liberal arts are not just abstract and ethereal; they are thoroughly practical, as we see here in no uncertain terms. Seneca is for our boys and for us–a great read for the Christmas vacation. Seneca’s Epistle I Seneca’s Epistle 13

The well intentioned gift of electronics carries with it unconsidered risks. Headmaster Alvaro de Vicente brings these out into the open, highlighting the ways that smart phones, tablets, and other devices can counteract our mission of forming strong-willed men. Links and Credits: Headmaster’s Letter on Smart Phones Joan of Arc, Mark Twain The Gift of the Magi, O’Henry, illustrated by P.J. Lynch

Though we hear Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving, we miss an opportunity to grow with our children when we bypass Advent. Hear Mr. Tom Steenson discuss how we, as parents and teachers, can live the liturgical season of Advent in a way that truly prepares us for December 25th.