This was a big week at the Rhetoric School. Our Seniors presented their Capstone essays on Thursday evening. As I listened to how their hearts have been shaped by the thoughts they’ve pondered and truths they’ve discovered, this William Wordsworth poem came to mind. This poem has been circulating in my thoughts all week. I love Spring; the new hope and new beginnings are necessary blessings after winter months. While I relish the beauties birthed in Spring, I have to admit that Spring doesn’t like me much. With all the toils seasonal allergies bring, I find these experiences worth the remembrance of life found in Spring. Thursday, as I listened to our Seniors, I saw five students who embody our four Portraits Of A Graduate. So much so that all 5 of them mentioned these portraits and shared how they’ve been shaped to live a life aligned in these truths. When I ponder the line that closes out Wordsworth’s poem, “what man has made of man”, I am overjoyed to say that God has made these five students into young followers who will make good for the souls they encounter. They will live with the new hope and new life of Spring guiding their daily lives. This is why I love the Rhetoric School, why I love being a part of our Academy Mission, and why I feel very blessed to know these articulate, flourishing young adults. Well done Seniors! I’m so incredibly proud of who you are!
Lines Written in Early Spring
by Williams Wordsworth
I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it grieved my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And ’tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:—
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
If this belief from heaven be sent,
If such be Nature’s holy plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?
A Few Logistics
1. Summer Prefect Retreat – If your student holds a role in House Leadership, or joins House Leadership later this semester, please mark your calendars! Our summer leadership training and team building retreat will be June 28th- 30th.
2. SENIOR CAPSTONE – Please watch for our CAPSTONE EVENT recording. You will receive an email with details on viewing. This is such an important Rhetoric School event, as it is a beautiful culmination of students’ educational narrative.
Upcoming Calendar Events
