Character at the Heart of Community

Character at the Heart of Community

By Mr. James Darling, Director of Character and Leadership Development

The sense of community at HTS is so palpable that visitors often remark that they notice it mere moments after having walked in the door. Whether a prefect has held that very door open or they have been greeted warmly at reception, when a visitor arrives on our wonderful campus they are immediately made to feel like they belong.

I believe that this feeling comes from our belief in the importance of developing the individual character of each person on campus in order for them to have a positive effect on those around them. The fact that our community gains strength from the contributions of each individual and that we are all linked by a common mission, vision, and values, sets us all up—visitors, students, and staff—for nothing but positive outcomes.

Over the course of the past school year, HTS students in all three divisions have had opportunities to reflect on their individual character and personal development. Through activities and initiatives that have challenged them to first consider their beliefs and passions, they have then been able to leverage their understanding towards developing mindsets or initiatives geared towards helping others.

In the Lower School, our grade 5s worked to understand their identity before reflecting on the values of our Character Creed in order to write and speak about experiences that often referenced ways they had helped others. This was modeling at its finest and the memory of the experience will undoubtedly carry forward into their middle school years.

In Middle School, after attending a virtual conference hosted by CAIS, a group of students designed a public awareness campaign designed to encourage others to be more positive and supportive of their peers. Their energy and enthusiasm for making a difference sent a powerful message to the rest of the middle school about the culture they were interested in creating.

In the Senior school, as part of two Student Life Days, students delivered workshops for their peers—from mindfulness to resume building—in a now yearly opportunity that we call “students leading students”. The opportunity to “teach back” to one’s peers is both challenging and affirming as it tests an individual’s sense of self while developing an awareness of the passion and knowledge needed to effectively deliver a message tailored to your particular audience.

These are just three examples of the many ways that character lives and breathes in the heart of our school community each year. This type of communal concern for the collective experience is rooted in the programming that the student life team works to deliver, and is encouraged in our academic courses, embedded in our advisor programs, found in the philosophy of our coaches and on the stage in rehearsals and performances, and can be seen throughout our hallways.

Development of the individual in order to be ready and able to help another is often referred to as servant leadership and is at the very heart of the “HTS way” and throughout our diverse and inclusive HTS culture and community.

The sense of community at HTS is so palpable visitors often remark that they notice it moments after having walked in the door.