FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

Walking through the school recently, I was reminded of a precept from The Way to Happiness.

"Now what do you suppose would happen if one were to try to treat those around him with justness, loyalty, good sportsmanship, fairness, honesty, kindness, consideration, compassion, self-control, tolerance, forgivingness, benevolence, belief, respect, politeness, dignity, admiration, friendliness, love, and did it with integrity?"

"It might take a while but don’t you suppose that many others would then begin to try to treat one the same way?"

"The pebble, dropped in a pool, can make ripples to the furthest shore."

– L. Ron Hubbard

The first such pebble was dropped into the pool of Delphian’s student body 47 years ago. New pebbles are dropped by countless staff and students every day.

Just before students left for winter break, I watched a Form 7 student take a moment out of her busy day to hold the door for a group of Lower School students returning from a rainy-day walk, admiring each as they walked by.

I love getting the opportunity to talk with someone who has just completed a tour of the school, especially if they are seeing it for the first time. Almost one for one, I can count on them starting with, “I just can’t believe…”, and ending with something like this:

“…every student I passed in the hall looked me in the eye and said hello!”

“…how poised and confident the student tour guide was!”

“...how well the student body was getting along in the dining room!”

“...EVERY student was actually STUDYING!”

“...how friendly everyone was!”

Touring Delphian for the first time has a tendency to clash with what one expects to see in a K-12 school. The culture of the student body is visible and unmistakable as is the integrity of each individual that makes it up.

It is so unmistakable that the majority of families that make it here for a tour end up enrolling. I would like to ask for your help in getting people here to campus to experience and understand what Delphian is and what it can be for their children.

I believe those of us that see the school and interact with its students frequently can easily forget just how special they are. The next time you are here, walk around and do your best to see the school as if you too were seeing it for the first time. Maybe I’ll see you after your tour and you’ll say, “I just can’t believe…!”

All my best,

Trevor Ott