Grit and Grace

I hear the motto “Grit and Grace” from time to time when I speak with Tristan or read something on the Westminster website.  So I went directly to the website and read the section the school has on the definition of Grit and Grace.  You can read that here.

Grit characterizes the effort students make to meet our high expectations for academic work, athletics, and community involvement. Grace speaks to the way they negotiate these responsibilities with generosity of spirit, good manners and respect for all.

It sounds awesome.

The Grit and Grace motto was derived from the Latin motto Virtute et Numine (“by human righteousness and Divine grace”), which is translated liberally as Grit and Grace.  According to the Westminster History found on the school website the motto was found on the Cushing family coat of arms.  William Cushing founded Westminster School in 1888.  The Grit and Grace philosophy has been in place for over 112 years.

I work with kids each day.  I coach them and I teach them.  I spend a lot of my day to day time working with kids in the 12 to 18 age range.  I set high expectations for these kids and I struggle some days to get the effort that I feel is required to be successful.  I am always looking within to find ways to be more creative, more efficient and more energetic to help the students reach their potential.  I want the students that I teach to become strong individuals with good character and an excellent work ethic.  It is what I preach everyday in class.

How does Westminster know that a student is approaching each assignment and athletic event and dance performance and test with Grit and Grace?  How do I know my son has accepted the Grit and Grace motto and is living his life based on the values of Westminster – community, character, balance and involvement.

Maybe I will never know.  Maybe I need to sit back and watch my child mature and watch his actions.  Maybe it is in the way he talks to people, how he looks people in the eye, how he asks probing questions and how he handles adversity.  My son is going to stumble, fall down, makes mistakes and just plain mess up.  I am hoping the values of Westminster then become the things that my child will rely upon.  I hope he will live his life with integrity, be a responsible young man and stand up for those that can not stand up on their own.  Through Grit and Grace.