Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Wesleyan Family,

This week, a new page was created on our website to profile alumni who are interested in sharing the role the school played in their life’s accomplishments to date. We hope this will interest people who know Wesleyan, as well as those curious about the nature of the school.

Above all else, Wesleyan seeks to honor Christ by putting before the children, men and women as teachers, coaches, counselors, sponsors, and advisors who have taken the faith to heart. They encourage the students in their care to consider the claims of Jesus as they apply to daily living inside and outside of the classroom.

Wesleyan also seeks to be a school of “academic excellence”, according to our mission statement. That means we try to push the children to learn what it is to give their best effort and then to do it regularly, in the classroom, on the stage, and on the fields of play. There are no shortcuts to giving one’s best effort at something. It takes time, and our students are busy working to accomplish something most of the time. We feel as though this is good training for college and life, and our alumni tell us that Wesleyan prepared them better for college than most of their counterparts from other schools.

Years ago a lie surfaced that we still hear from time to time from students and parents. It’s called the “there should be no pain” lie. The truth is that no one is immune from pain and no one can completely escape it. But in many things we get to choose the type of pain we experience. The choices usually boil down to two: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. One of Wesleyan’s ambitions is to encourage our children to choose the former so that they avoid the latter. Discipline, though, requires time and energy and commitment.  It requires that you pay attention to the opportunities that are presented to you.  You learn to work hard through the pain to accomplish a goal you set for yourself. Regret is the result of a lack of discipline. It is the dregs of missed opportunities, lack of effort and lazy choices. It is what we want our students to avoid.  In avoiding it, they become active, alive and busy at this place. It is not easy, but it is rewarding and you will hear this echoed as you read our alumni stories.

Another reason we encourage our students to be heavily involved in school life is so the children will feel connected to its people and its traditions. We know our children because we spend so much time with them. As a bi-product of heavy student involvement, the school takes great lengths to recognize children for their participation, encouraging them all the while to learn what it feels like to do one’s best. Over time, the school wants to instill in its students a sense of mastery of the subject or activity.  We want them to experience the joy that comes from feeling accomplished at something; fluency in math or language, adept at basketball, fearless in front of an audience.

As you read what our alums have to say, you will understand that Wesleyan is a challenging place, but it is also a place that pays great dividends to those who lean into its purposes.

Click HERE to view the alumni profiles. These will be updated on a quarterly basis each year.

Zach Young
Headmaster