The Power of our Small School

Boys' Latin is a small school by design, because we know how important it is to a boy's success to be known and valued.   Headmaster Chris Post recently published an article on the power of our small School and how that power is lived and practiced every day.

The Power of a Small School
By Chris Post 

I have been fortunate to work in boys' schools for more than twenty-five years, serving as Headmaster of The Boys' Latin School of Maryland since 2008. As so many have reflected, this year has been unlike any other.  And while things may look different, the very essence of the Boys’ Latin experience remains constant. Leveraging the power of our small school enables us to foster deep personal relationships while providing boys the limitless opportunities to stretch and grow.

We are a small school by design.  That means that our student body is small in number and our program is driven by our philosophy of serving every student.  This has allowed us to be nimble, thinking creatively to solve unprecedented challenges and bringing students back to campus from the start of the year.  The atmosphere of our small school has helped us create meaningful experiences for all our students.  We have found creative ways to bring hands-on learning to life, to engage and challenge our boys. We have reimagined middle school robotics so boys can compete in coding competitions.  Our lower school boys have been outside as much as possible, exploring our newly acquired western campus and even sledding its hills when the winter weather has cooperated!  We’ve expanded our already robust counseling and advisory programs, and we have found countless ways to keep and our community connected.   

The power of our small school and our commitment to knowing each boy is best personified at our graduation.  You see, our commencement is a metaphor for our mission, our values and our purpose.  Unlike so many other schools, there are no visiting dignitaries or outside graduation speakers.  Instead, we celebrate the journey that each graduate has walked here on Lake Avenue.  

As each graduate’s name is called, he stands with me as he receives his diploma.  In that moment, I share a comment that I’ve written with my colleagues, a comment that reflects each boy and who he aspires to be.  He will hear the voice of our community reflected back to him – advisors, teachers and coaches, teachers from his first days on campus to his final moments as a student here at Boys’ Latin.  We affirm who he is – his good works, his outstanding effort, the difference he has made in our lives, and most especially, the promise of how he will make his mark on the world.

I have often said, the education of boys – and the formation of young men – has never been more important than it is today. Almost two centuries of all-boys education has taught us that a close-knit community builds a foundation of confidence, of compassion and most importantly, of character.  That happens best in a small school, where each student is known and loved.