The Holistic Well-being of Boys
By Dr . Evan Morse
Saint David ’ s stands out as a tight-knit community where boys feel known and supported in becoming their best selves . Education , as described by the mission of the school , is a joyful process of developing students ’ capabilities for moral introspection , spiritual experience , critical thinking , intellectual curiosity , and self-confidence . This holistic approach is deeply rooted in the spiritual tradition of the school — for Aristotle , and following him Thomas Aquinas , the goal of a life well lived is eudaimonia . This word is sometimes translated as happiness , but with the caveat that it does not refer to fleeting pleasures but to the happiness of growing into our potential and flourishing across the full spectrum of our humanity . One of the critical virtues that generates eudaimonia is sophrosyne , an excellence of character and a healthy state of mind , characterized by self-control , moderation , and awareness of one ’ s true self . Accordingly , the school ’ s program for character education and social-emotional health is named Sophrosyne , for it centers holistic well-being in a boy ’ s experience at school , in the community , and in the mission of the school .
The past two-and-a-half years have shown us how much young people need tools to support their social and emotional well-being . The challenges presented by the pandemic coincided with an expansion and deepening of the Sophrosyne program in order to reach every boy in the school . Older boys also now have an advisory meeting every week . Sophrosyne provides a curriculum of programs and processes based on research and evidence to support students ’ health . While the classroom experience is the core of the program , it is also reinforced in each area of the school
18 • Saint David ’ s Magazine