September
Study and Work
Study and Work are the dedicated use of one's talents and efforts to grow in knowledge and contribute positively to society. They transform abilities into service and personal excellence.
Personal Formation
Forming the whole person.
Eleven virtues across the year. One mentor for each boy. Character shaped by daily life.
The work of formation
Formation is the work the rest of the day protects.
A Whitesands boy is formed by what he does, who watches him do it, and what he is asked to think about while he does. The virtue of the month, the conversation with his advisor, the job he carries on the schedule. None of it is incidental.
The school does not teach character as a separate subject. Character is the medium in which everything else happens.
Virtue of the month
Eleven virtues. One year.
Each month of the academic year carries a virtue. The boys hear it in assembly, see it in their mentor conversations, and read it on the chapel notice board.
October
Order
Order is arranging things properly so that life and work are harmonious and efficient.
November
Responsibility
Responsibility is the willingness to accept and faithfully fulfill one's duties and obligations.
December
Generosity
Generosity and Service involve freely giving your time, talents, and resources for the good of others, without expectation of return.
January
Cheerfulness and Optimism
Cheerfulness and Optimism are attitudes of joy and hope even in difficult circumstances.
February
Holy Purity
Holy purity is the virtue of keeping one's thoughts, words, and actions clean and ordered toward what is good, true, and beautiful. It seeks integrity of heart and respect for the dignity of every person.
March
Sincerity
Sincerity is being genuine and truthful in our words, intentions, and actions.
April
Spirit of Sacrifice
Spirit of sacrifice is the willingness to give up personal comfort or convenience for a greater good.
May
Friendship & Loyalty
Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection, trust, and support. Loyalty is steadfast faithfulness to our commitments, relationships, and values.
June
Good Manners
Good manners are respectful behaviors that show consideration for others and promote harmonious relationships.
July
Good Use of Time
Good use of time is managing our hours wisely and using them for worthwhile purposes.
The Advisor system
One adult who knows your son.
Every boy at Whitesands is assigned a personal advisor when he joins the school. The advisor stays with him through his years here, often through the full progression from JS1 to SS3.
Once a fortnight the boy meets his advisor one-on-one. Twenty minutes, regular, deliberate. They talk about how school is going, what is hard, what virtues he is working on, what to read, what to pray about. The conversation is confidential.
Twice a term the advisor meets with the boy’s parents to share what he is seeing, hear what they are seeing, and close the loop between home and school.
Character through job assignments
Boys are given things to carry.
Every boy holds a real responsibility in the running of the school. The jobs are rotated each term so that every boy is both led and asked to lead.
Class Captain
Each class elects a captain who keeps the room ordered, leads opening and closing prayer, and represents the class at student leadership meetings.
Chapel Sacristan
A senior boy who prepares the chapel for daily Mass: vestments, lectionary, candles. Quiet, regular, and important.
House Prefect
Selected senior boys lead each house through the year, organising the inter-house competitions and looking out for the younger members.
Library and Lab Monitors
Boys keep their own learning spaces in order. The library and laboratories are run with their help, not in spite of them.