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Article
Forming an Optimistic Micro-Culture
by Alvaro de VicenteForming an Optimistic Micro-Culture
The following essay first appeared as an article in Alvaro de Vicente’s Substack publication, Men in the Making. For more articles like this one, you can visit his page here. Subscribe to stay up-to-date on his writing. Over a century ago, the great Catholic writer and philosopher G.K. Chesterton wrote about the distinction between the supernatural virtue of hope and the disposition popularly referred to as “optimism.” On the eve of his reception into the Catholic Church, Chesterton was struck by the Penny Catechism’s teaching that the two sins against hope are presumption...
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Podcast
Family Culture
featuring Alvaro de VicenteFamily Culture
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...
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Podcast
On Home as Social Hub: The Importance of Hosting Our Sons and Their Friends
featuring Tom RoyalsOn Home as Social Hub: The Importance of Hosting Our Sons and Their Friends
Note from producer: This conversation was originally published on March 23, 2021, but has been updated and republished on June 13, 2024. As we look forward to the wide expanse of summer, one thing certainly on our minds is how we can support our sons’ friendships in the absence of school. Turns out, we needn’t look further than our own living rooms. In fact, welcoming our children’s friends into our homes may be the healthiest place for authentic, lifelong friendship to grow. In a timely rebroadcast from 2021, Assistant Headmaster...
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Article
Finding Joy in the Everyday
by Elias NaegeleFinding Joy in the Everyday
Adults can regain the joys of a child through re-engaging with the local, novelties, and living seasonally. From a basis of attaining this child-like joy, parents and educators can then help guide boys to appreciate the same.
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Podcast
Leisure and Acedia: R.J. Snell on Contemplative Homes in a Frenetic Age
featuring R. J. SnellLeisure and Acedia: R.J. Snell on Contemplative Homes in a Frenetic Age
In many quarters of contemporary society, busy-ness has become a sort of cliche greeting. To the question “How are you?”, the response, “So busy,” is often automatic. To borrow the words of Dr. R.J. Snell, many of us are conspicuously busy; and we wear our busy-ness as a sort of badge of honor, rooting our worth in our work. In last week’s episode, we talked with Dr. Snell about work and acedia. This week, we round out that episode with a discussion of what is ultimately the point of work, namely leisure. While we...
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Podcast
On Manners: The “ABCs” of Virtue
featuring Colin GleasonOn Manners: The “ABCs” of Virtue
Are manners stodgy vestiges of a bygone aristocratic age? At The Heights, we’d offer a resounding “no.” Manners matter, and as parents and teachers, these “rules of civility” offer a great opportunity for teaching our boys virtue. Listen in to hear more.
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Article
On Cleaning
by Robert GrevingOn Cleaning
Grammar and Latin teacher Rob Greving shares some perspective to help us prioritize cleaning and even get better at it.
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Podcast
Fostering Vocations in a Digital Age
featuring Fr. Carter GriffinFostering Vocations in a Digital Age
Fr. Carter Griffin, Rector of the St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, DC, shares his thoughts on vocation. Where are vocations coming from? What are the characteristics of homes that are conducive to our sons hearing the Lord’s call? How has his approach to formation changed with the arrival of young men raised in a digital age? Fr. Griffin discusses all of this and more in today’s podcast.
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Podcast
“Will he be happy?”: Fostering Gratitude in a Fast-Paced World
featuring Andrew Reed“Will he be happy?”: Fostering Gratitude in a Fast-Paced World
As parents, one of our primary duties is to help our children discover that gratitude is a path to lasting happiness. But where is the trailhead and how do we go about getting our boys on the right track, especially in a busy age of myriad privileges that are now assumed to be entitlements? In such an age, how can we foster a culture of appreciation and gratitude in our homes?
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Podcast
The Risks of Overspecialization and Professionalized Youth Sports
featuring Alex BerthéThe Risks of Overspecialization and Professionalized Youth Sports
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,...
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Podcast
Performing Books Aloud
featuring Tom LonganoPerforming Books Aloud
Today we feature an interview with Tom Longano, author of two recently published books: The Blue Book of Stories and The Red Book of Stories. A Heights graduate and former lower school teacher, Tom offers his thoughts on children’s literature, reading for boys, and the importance of not just reading books aloud, but actually performing them aloud as well.
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Podcast
The Read-Aloud Family
featuring Sarah MackenzieThe Read-Aloud Family
This week on HeightsCast we feature Sarah Mackenzie, an author and mother who is leading a movement to bring reading aloud back into our homes. When was the last time you read aloud to your children? Many of us really lost steam when our boys started reading to themselves. As Sarah explains in The Read-Aloud Family, reading aloud has both academic and formational benefits for children of all ages. Moreover, it draws us closer together as families! To kick-start the revival, give this episode a listen. Additional Resources: The Read...