College Admissions--Finding a Land to Inhabit & Till

January is coming to a close and that means there are many exciting events ahead of us both as a school and as individuals.  Soon The Night of the Griffin Auction will provide a fabulous venue where our donors and our mission meet.

The Super Bowl will provide entertainment as the epic struggle of "old" Peyton Manning meets the "new" in Cam Newton. Not long after that will come the crack of the bats, spring training and Opening Day! 

Many of our students no doubt are already peeking ahead to Spring break, Easter, Junior Ring, Prom and Graduation! 

While all these things have value and bring excitement and enthusiasm to our lives, work, and school, I know there is another group of students engaged in much more deliberate and perhaps more difficult conversations and decisions.

Our seniors have been receiving and will continue to receive their acceptance letters from colleges and universities all over the country--the world! And in the coming weeks and months they will need to make a life-altering decision by selecting the school of their choice.

As the principal of Vianney college-admissions and acceptance is understandably an important topic in our college-preparatory high school.  As one who has benefited mightily from a college education I'm an obvious proponent of how it can change a person's life for the better.  Having progressed through an undergrad, masters, and doctoral program I have seen many sides of this issue, learned a lot in my life about the process, and have many opinions to share. With college decisions looming on the minds of our students January seems like an appropriate time to share a little more freely than usual.

Not long ago I read a provocative book by Frank Bruni’s titled, Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania. In it an important question arises as to what university and college are for. There is no question that a post-secondary experience is an important step on the path our young men venture along. We, as a school, value the university experience greatly and work with our students to prepare them for it and for life beyond it. 

Where the tension can arise is understanding what it is that our students and their parents are looking for in an undergraduate degree, and whether that first post-secondary experience is any better at one school than another- be it Ivy League, SEC, or not. Too often students and families are lured to undergraduate programs because of superior marketing.  Packed football/basketball stadiums, commercials touting prestigious alumni, promises of Greek life, and the peer pressure of friends often lead to students choosing a school that does not offer the programs of study they are passionate about, the environment & support systems they need to be successful, or the financial support to escape without a lifetime of debt.  

I realize that in writing this, as the Principal of a National School of Excellence and one that touts our academic program and who serves as the chief cheerleader who prides himself in 100% university placement for our students, I risk backlash. I should be espousing the ‘best’ schools for our young men. The reality is that we do- and must- work together with our parents, students and counselors to define what ‘best’ means for each of our Griffins and not be confined to magazine rankings, social status badges, and other unreliable markers of success.

I was taken with Bruni’s comment about undergraduate experiences. He says of one’s first degree, “College (or university) is a singular opportunity to rummage through and luxuriate in ideas, to give your brain a vigorous workout and your soul a thorough investigation, to realize how very large the world is and to contemplate your desired place in it. And that’s being lost in the admission mania which sends the message that college is a sanctum to be breached- a border to be crossed- rather than a land to be inhabited and tilled for all that it’s worth.” I couldn’t agree more.

At Vianney we talk a lot about the best path rarely being a straight line. We learn so much  from variety and turns- both those that life throws us and those we have the courage to choose. We are adamant that our young men choose the best for themselves- and that it be grounded in who they are, what they are passionate about and how they learn best. This is the key to finding a land “to inhabit and till.”  

Adaptation & Change--How Vianney Stays Nimble

As with many organizations, businesses, and school's it is important these days for St. John Vianney High School to be nimble. 

Just this week we were tested with winter weather, questionable road conditions, and the challenge of educating our students despite the consistency and structure a traditional five day week provides. 

The ability to adjust, adapt and grow is a key trait for success in our dynamic and complex world.  Fortunately the Society of Mary recognized that many years ago.  "Adaption & Change" is one of the 5 Characteristics we seek to educate our young men to handle when they exit our halls as Men of Character & Accomplishment.  

Just like our organizations, individuals within them fare best when they are prepared for ongoing change and provided with the skills such that they, too, can be nimble.

The fall leading in to winter is always a rewarding time for me to be the principal.  From Homecoming to Thanksgiving through Christmas we welcome back our graduates.!

We meet them at reunions, the Thanksgiving Lunch/Yearbook Party, and see them as their college semesters close and they return to enjoy a Spicy Chicken Sandwich or a Hot Ham & Cheese on a Pretzel bun for lunch!

Seeing our graduates return with smiles on their faces and stories of success is rewarding and reminds me of a quote I once read in my undergraduate studies that speaks to the importance of community belonging for relationships but also benefits. 

“True belonging is born of relationships not only to one another but to a place of shared responsibilities and benefits. We love not so much what we have acquired as what we have made and whom we have made it with.”

As the fall and winter unfold each year, we welcome back our graduates from new environments and they tell us that they feel well-prepared for their next stage of life: academically, spiritually, and personally.

We also see our current students and staff adjust to new technologies, higher expectations, more responsibilities, and even Snow Days.!

Upon reflection this week I thought again to the quote above. I thought of the benefits that St. John Vianney High School provides for our community. 

In addition, I was reminded, I “love not so much what we have acquired as what we have made and whom we have made it with.”

Thank you for entrusting your son to our care.  Thank you for being part of the Vianney Family! 

Academic Excellence and Beyond!

As principal of St. John Vianney High School it's hard to go almost anywhere in St. Louis without being recognized.  It certainly doesn't help that I wear Vianney gear 90% of  the time.  Be it restaurants, grocery stores, the movie theater, or church, it's comforting to see a friendly smile, receive a nice greeting, or catch a wave from a person who identifies me as the principal of Vianney!

As such, I am often approached and asked questions about our school by prospective families or introduced to them by current Vianney parents and students.  I always love these opportunities to speak about the magic of our school!

The mission at St. John Vianney High School is to develop young men for spiritual, academic, and personal excellence in the Catholic, Marianist tradition. 

We seek to develop Men of Character and Accomplishment who leave our institution intellectually curious, courageous and compassionate, with a strong faith formation and a personal relationship with Christ. A wonderful mission- and, yes, a tall order!

We are very much aware of our school’s reputation for academic excellence, and we are very proud of it! 

• In 2012 we were recognized as a top 50 Catholic High School for our Academic program, commitment to Catholic education, and civic awareness.  
• In 2013 the Gurian Institute recognized Vianney for our implementation of brain-based strategies and research as a Model School (1 of 12 in the country).
• In 2014 our school became a National School of Excellence (awarded to the top 5% of Catholic High School's in the country!) 

However, I do want to share another vital component that MUST, in our minds, be in place in order to ensure a successful and challenging program that achieves our mission.

Discussions with colleagues working in education as well as a wealth of research point to the necessity of an educational approach that takes far more than just the academic curriculum into consideration. At Vianney, we have made a commitment, not only to affording our young men with academic as well as extracurricular options, but also to ensuring that we are equipping our students to be authentic, to seek a fulfilling and active faith life, and to have a strong understanding of the importance of leadership and character in all that they do. 

While Vianney is blessed to possess a true family spirit in our community, the capacity building and support of our students such that they leave us as Men of Character and Accomplishment is something that does not just happen. 

In what has become an increasingly fast-paced world, with a deluge of information at our fingertips, it is a challenge for staff and parents to guide high-achieving young men with high expectations as they navigate through life and its challenges. The ability to recognize how to take things as they come, to slow down and to be mindful of our approaches is a complex skill. It is one that requires a comfort with discomfort– a tension- as all of us want everything to be perfect; we want to feel positive and have everything work out, yet life has taught us that things just don’t always happen in smooth and uncomplicated ways. Thus we find ourselves, an institution of excellence, working to clarify that this means building capacity and understanding that excellence requires a journey- that it is not solely about outcomes but more importantly about understanding oneself and the development of the individual along the the way (spiritually, academically, and personally).

Five years ago I started my tenure as Vianney's principal with the hopes that our school would grow in to a community that understood the importance of engaging our students in the learning process, cared for students like they were our own children, and that challenged and inspired them to expect more of themselves while emphasizing the importance of helping others to achieve more. 

As I look up and down our halls, as the twitter feeds continue to fill with differentiated learning in our classrooms and stories of personal, team, and community success, I would suggest the evolution of our school is well on our way.   

We welcome you and all to St. John Vianney High School- a school of which we are very proud- and one that affords not only an exceptional academic experience but a commitment to learning, leading and living well.

NEW YEAR--NEW opportunities--Same "OLD" Traditions

A new year, new courses, a new baseball field, and soon for our class of 2016 graduates, new colleges, universities, and opportunities to continue on their path to be Men of Character & Accomplishment!  

We all face newness as the calendar year has turned.  Parent, students, faculty and staff, our communities and our world will soon encounter MANY NEW "things" as 2016 unfolds.

The word 'NEW' can conjure up a variety of images, thoughts and perceptions depending on the person or the situation. 

For many, ‘NEW’ means opportunities, expanded learning, excited optimism; for others, it can conjure up feelings of uncertainty, worry, and even pessimism that something NEW cannot possibly be as good as the ‘old.’ 

While both approaches are fairly common, what I have found is that change is constant and, thus, our role as we prepare our students at St. John Vianney High School is to educate our young men beyond course content, to ensure that they possess the ability to be flexible and adaptable and work with courage and curiosity as they face the ‘NEW.’

This in itself is NOT a 'NEW' concept to Vianney or our Marianist traditions.  Since our establishment in 1960 Vianney has educated our students so they can best adapt and change with the signs of the times.

I recently read an expert from a speech given to students in the late 1970's the person delivering the speech stated the following skills would be needed for the 1980s:

“Students will need to have a strong intellectual bias. They must not only tolerate complexity, but welcome it as an intellectual challenge…the preferred skills will be analytical and intellectual.”

As we enter 2016 the skills students need to be successful have not changed all that much.  At Vianney we have an important task and responsibility to educate our students so they can:

• Enhance their spiritual development and formation of faith;
• Focus on creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration;
• Create, evaluate, and effectively utilize information, media, and technology; and to
• Pay rigorous attention to developing adequate life and career skills including:
• Initiative & Self Direction;
• Social & Cross-Cultural Skills;
• Productivity & Accountability;
• Leadership & Responsibility;
• Flexibility & Adaptability.

I am so  excited for 2016 to begin and for what the future has in store for our Vianney family! It is evident to me that we are carrying on the ‘old’ tradition of preparing our young men  for the ‘NEW.’

Happy New Year, Everyone!