Arete: The Five Principles

In our last assembly of the year, I asked all the pupils to really make the most of the next eight weeks of holiday by applying the ‘Arete Principles’, that is, remembering to cultivate all five of the Arete branches by:

1.Setting the goal of improving in a particular virtue. It could be putting their clothes away every day (the virtue of order) or practising the virtue of obedience by doing as you ask them straightaway without arguing. It is said that it takes approximately fifty days to develop a habit, so summer is a great opportunity to practise every single day the new habit they want to achieve.

2. Setting the goal of developing their spiritual life. Again, this will depend on what stage your daughter is at – it could mean remembering to acknowledge a deeper meaning to life, praying a prayer of thanksgiving at the end of the day, and thinking about what they could have done better. It could be reading a spiritual book or walking in nature and thanking God for all that they receive.

3. Setting the goal of working towards academic excellence. In the first few days of their holiday, they should discuss with you how and when they will be doing their summer work and working on those targets set by their subject teachers in their school reports. This is the opportunity for them to review gaps and consolidate learning in key areas. They should all have a timetable which clearly shows when they will be studying.

4. Setting the goal of serving others. Some of our pupils will be working on service projects during the summer but, as I said to them in the assembly, they have innumerable ways of serving at home. Each one of them should be thinking about how they can help you and be a source of joy and peace in their families.

5, Setting the goal of enriching themselves through an activity such as developing a skill, practising physical and/or creative activity. 

Of course, I hope all our pupils have the opportunity to rest, socialise and travel – this is part of the joy of the summer holidays, but it is also important that there is a structure to their time otherwise teenagers can very quickly begin to feel aimless and (the dreaded word) bored! It is a little like when someone binges on a Netflix boxset or a box of chocolates. When is there little self-mastery, we very quickly can feel a sense of dissatisfaction and futility. The days seem endless and purposeless. That is why we all need to plan and have a sense of direction.