character education Q & A

At Boys’ Latin, the answer is both. Our mission and values are woven throughout all that we do – in the classroom, on the playing fields, in our arts and robotics spaces and in our daily interactions with one another.  We carve out dedicated time every day to shape our boys' hearts along with their minds.  In the lower school, this means learning and practicing core BL values, such as courage, compassion, and integrity. In middle school, boys take part in weekly advisory workshops focused on mindset, goal setting, and resolving peer conflict. In the upper school, we give our boys opportunities to exercise their values as leaders, such as the student honor board that establishes and upholds standards for character and conduct. Why do we do this? Because at Boys’ Latin, we care most about who your son will become. 

At Boys’ Latin, students discover what community means and how to build it.  Beginning with our youngest learners, our boys are taught the importance of service; from small acts of kindness to larger initiatives, they understand that their actions can make a difference in the greater community. Boys in all divisions are actively engaged in service, from lower schoolers collecting diapers for Sharebaby, to eighth graders serving meals at Beans and Bread to upper schoolers collecting toys for Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital or partnering with nonprofits such as Mannah House, Art with a Heart and Second Chance. 

Building deep personal relationships is the foundation of the education we provide. At Boys’ Latin, every boy is known and valued and sees himself as an important part of a tight-knit community.  Being supported by peers and faculty alike gives boys the courage to try something, to pursue their passions and to take risks. Our boys support each other and lift each other up in both their achievements and in their struggles. Most importantly, the power of the relationships that are formed here helps boys be confident in who they are, so they can do not only what’s right but also what’s difficult. None of this happens by accident; it’s because our students are part of one of the most powerful forces on earth: a lifelong, caring community. 

That’s a great question and who better to answer it than one of our students?  Here is an expert from an essay by Owen Reid, Class of 2022. We think his words say it all. 

“As I look back on the time I’ve spent on Lake Avenue, I’m filled with so much gratitude and pride for how this school has shaped my character. Boys’ Latin has provided me with role models who have transcended teacher-to-student relationships, values that have and will continue to define the essence of who I am, and education that has set me up not only to be successful, but to be a responsible, grounded, and moral citizen in the future.

Boys’ Latin’s outstanding faculty and emphasis on not just adhering to our values, but fully understanding and buying into them have prepared me to be successful in the future, and I am forever grateful for what this school has done for me.” Owen Reid ‘22 

Owen is currently studying government at Georgetown University.