HeightsCast: Forming Men Fully Alive

Today we feature an interview with Tom Longano, author of two recently published books: The Blue Book of Stories and The Red Book of Stories. A Heights graduate and former lower school teacher, Tom offers his thoughts on children's literature, reading for boys, and the importance of not just reading books aloud, but actually performing them aloud as well.

Heights Middle School Head, Mr. Andy Reed, discusses the middle school years. Drawing on his years of experience working with middle school boys and their families, Mr. Reed offers practical advice on how parents can best help their sons grow during these crucial years of formation. While we have often heard it said that parents should "cut the cord" and "let him leave the nest," in this talk Mr. Reed emphasises the importance of parents combining freedom with formation. He recommends parents keep their sons especially close during these critical years, even as they give them the genuine freedom to grow in virtue.

Our lives have been altered in ways few of us thought possible before March 2020. As a school, we wouldn't presume to broadcast our opinions on matters of public policy or medical science. We can, however, at this point speak to the impact of closure and other preventative measures on our boys. No preventative comes without cost, and for a young man in the formative years of his life, these days have ceased being a brief episode, taking on an air of semi-permanence. How is this affecting our sons? Alvaro de Vicente gives an evening lecture discussing the impact on young people of what has come to be known as the "new normal." More importantly and optimistically, Mr. de Vicente will discuss the ways that we, as parents and primary educators, can accompany our boys through the turbulent waters of Covid-19, building them into the "men fully alive" we hoped and prayed they would be, both before March 2020 and after.

Heights Headmaster, Alvaro de Vicente, shares his thoughts on friendship. We are told that friendship is one of the highest goods of human existence. Yet, despite our purported ability to find "friends" at the click of a button, building an authentic friendship takes time and effort, especially for our boys. Hear Mr. de Vicente discuss ways that parents can coach, manage, and accompany their sons through the selection or friends, and the building up of friendships that will last a lifetime.

Middle School Head, Andy Reed, offers helpful, practical, guidance for parents seeking to finish the academic year well under these historically challenging days. Mr. Reed offers advice derived from countless conversations with Heights parents striving to form "men fully alive" during a time more insular than days gone by, and days to come.

As parents, one of our primary duties is to help our children discover that gratitude is a path to lasting happiness. But where is the trailhead and how do we go about getting our boys on the right track, especially in a busy age of myriad privileges that are now assumed to be entitlements? In such an age, how can we foster a culture of appreciation and gratitude in our homes?

Mr. de Vicente offers his advice to students during these Corona months. Establishing and executing an ordered plan of life is critical for students wishing to grow intellectually, physically, morally, and spiritually. In this interview, our headmaster shares his advice for young men seeking to win in all aspects during this era of distance learning.

Dads, how often do we try to strong arm our sons into success? Is this the best way? Even if your son achieves success, is it his win or is it yours? Join Andy Reed for a discussion of fatherhood. Learn more about what our Middle School Head refers to as the "bedrock principle" of fatherhood, the notion that you, as a father, have to accompany rather than manage your boy, and that he will draw confidence for himself from your confidence in him.

This week on HeightsCast we feature a recording of our most recent Heights Lecture Series featuring Colin Gleason, who discusses the formation of conscience in the young boy. Though we focus, among other things, on the formation of the will at The Heights, the formation of a boy's moral compass–his conscience–is equally important. The forming of a child's conscience begins at a very early age. The peer group, school, and culture will all be factors in our children's moral growth, but no environment will affect the bearings of conscience more than the that of the home. So how can we best train our young sons to have the knack of interpreting right from wrong, especially in today's seemingly amoral climate? Tune in to hear Colin Gleason approach this important theme.

Fr. Carter Griffin, Rector of the St. John Paul II Seminary in Washington, DC, shares his thoughts on vocation. Where are vocations coming from? What are the characteristics of homes that are conducive to our sons hearing the Lord's call? How has his approach to formation changed with the arrival of young men raised in a digital age? Fr. Griffin discusses all of this and more in today's podcast.