Imagine for a moment you could actually clarify a definition of GREATNESS. It is a strange term, overused to a large degree, misunderstood by many, and whose meaning denotes many permutations and interpretations. That being said, and without trying to display a degree of arrogance or presumptuousness, after thirty years of heading and leading schools, I am now convinced of how we should define greatness in preparatory education.

The ongoing greatness debate is becoming more and more acute. Recently, I have tried to clarify what I believe to be the greatest marketing challenge facing independent schools today. Simply put, we are faced with this reality:

Mediocrity looks like greatness and greatness looks like mediocrity. Therefore there is simply no motivation to strive for greatness.

Being good is a challenge. It is a level of competence one can be proud of and pleased with. The reality however, is that good is not great which means it is not good enough. In fact, good is the enemy of great. We need to be great. All of us should aspire to greatness, and I would suggest we need an aspiration of greatness. I would love to be ensured that everyone associated with Selwyn House shares that aspiration. Simply put; Don’t be good, be great.

One of the traditions at our parent Information evening each September is that I try to articulate the expectations we have for our parents. There has been a substantial amount of time devoted to the review of these expectations, and our hope is that there is an attempt by our parents to look at these expectations carefully. The final expectation is simply a plea for all parents to continually ask the question: What really matters?

There is always a debate when the term Professional Development is used, and I am not going to enter into the trap of this discussion. I simply want to be clear. A great Professional Development (P.D.) program and strategy is essential for great schools. Therefore the P.D. program must strive for greatness.

By now, it should be apparent that the VERITAS vision has become a significant part of everything we do at Selwyn House. It matters simply because we have seen that it makes a difference. It is real, it is measurable, it comes from the heart, and it is based on human substance. We should be proud of our roots, and we should fight hard to keep this VISION alive and relevant.

Here is another opportunity for me to take the blame. You would think that with all I have learned about leadership, I would understand any initiative, if it is to be effectively implemented, needs to be explained fully in a passionate yet disciplined fashion.

A strong athletic commitment is arguably one of the most important elements needed to support a strong, vibrant academic culture. So if this is true, we need to look at athletic excellence as a necessary component for school success. A great athletic program leads to a great academic program but, it has to be great. A good athletic program is inconsequential in its overall effect.

We all must make every attempt to understand the value of any school gala, and in particular the Selwyn House upcoming Glitz & Glam Gala. Personally, I do not believe galas have to be held on a regular basis, nor do I believe they are events that should be used as the sole strategy for fund raising. A Gala is a celebration and it should be a celebration of something.

One could suggest we are dwelling on the smaller details, but there happens to be nothing small when we are concerned with greatness. Everything becomes a point of discussion and thought. It is the collective efforts and actions that ultimately make a difference, and so dress code does matter.