September 2026

What Do You Have to Give?

Kathleen Litt
September 30, 2026

Miss Litt, Morning Reflections

In the book The Redhead of Auschwitz, Nechama Birnbaum tells her grandmother’s story of surviving the concentration camps of World War II. In 1944 when she was transported from Auschwitz to Bergen Belsen, the women were led through swampy land...

Getting Worse to Get Better

Daniel Gibson
September 29, 2026

Head of School, Morning Reflections

In 1985, Nick Faldo was one of the best golfers in Europe. But his coach believed that the flaws in his swing would prevent him from being great…and so he went about rebuilding it. And Faldo got worse . ....

Open to Correction

Daniel Gibson
September 28, 2026

Head of School, Morning Reflections

Every day, after morning assembly, you head to your classrooms to be taught. I wonder, though, are you someone who is teachable? One of the hallmarks of teachability is openness to correction. Indeed the process of learning largely takes place...

Thank You for Fleas

Kathleen Litt
September 25, 2026

Miss Litt, Morning Reflections

Have you ever been thankful for fleas? Me neither, but Betsie Ten Boom was. In her autobiographical story The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom tells the story of her and her sister Betsie’s time at the Ravensbruck concentration camp in...

On Listening Well

Daniel Gibson
September 24, 2026

Head of School, Morning Reflections

Do you listen when your peers are performing their recitations? Or do you just tune out until it is over? This week, we’ve observed the ways in which recitations build courage and provide a storehouse of knowledge necessary for speaking...

A Tale of Two Cows

Kathleen Litt
September 23, 2026

Miss Litt, Morning Reflections

When I was in middle school I raised steers, which are a type of male cow. My first steer’s name was Huey. He was such a gentle cow. I could walk him up and down my street without even putting...

“That I Might Not Sin Against You”

Daniel Gibson
September 22, 2026

Head of School, Morning Reflections

So, speaking in front of the school might build courage, but why not let you read the poems or speeches? That could build courage, too, right? Is it really necessary that you recite things from memory? Yes, it is. The ancients understood...

Eulogy or Casket?

Daniel Gibson
September 21, 2026

Head of School, Morning Reflections

Do you get nervous before your recitations? If so, you’re not alone. Some studies indicate that speaking in public is the single most anxiety-inducing experience of human beings. The fear of public speaking is called glossophobia, and it has been...

What’s Your Name Worth?

Daniel Gibson
September 18, 2026

Head of School, Morning Reflections

We’ve considered the Honor Code this week. But one, lingering question you might have is: Why bother? What is the benefit to me of doing the hard work of building a life of honor—one that is marked by honesty, uprightness,...

“Mine Honor is My Life; Both Grow in One”

Daniel Gibson
September 17, 2026

Head of School, Morning Reflections

You probably have noticed that our Honor Code addresses five different aspects of our lives: what we say, how we conduct ourselves, our posture toward learning, how we regard our obligations to others, and our disposition when life is hard....

Veritas et Virtus