At an all-school assembly on November 21st, Hawthorn once again went out of its way to honour our outstanding scholars of the Fall Term. Importantly, along with recognizing students who excel in academics, time was also taken to name Upper School students who exemplify virtue. As Miss Yu stated, “Marks are important. But are they the most important thing in school? Years from now, you will finish school, and you won’t get marks anymore; which means that marks will no longer be important. But something will continue being important – who you are. That’s why we recognize virtues.”
Hawthorn teachers, mentors and staff were asked to nominate students who stand out in how they characterize different virtues, and the following 11 students were chosen as recipients of our school’s Virtue Awards:
Sofia and Madeleine: Amiability and Optimism
Elia, Eden, and Victoria: Spirit of Service
Lillian: Generosity
Chiara: Self-Knowledge
Cecilia: Charity
Zakiyah, Yuna, and Ana Maria: Dedication
In the description of how each of these students uniquely integrate virtue into their life at Hawthorn, certain words arose defining their attitude towards themselves and others, words such as connecting, greeting, listening, helping, offering, giving, prioritizing, accepting, remembering, taking the time, volunteering. Congratulations to our award recipients who, simply by their way of being and acting, make our lives immeasurably better.
