St Sebastians School - Arrow Yearbook (Newton, MA)

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THE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL IDEAL AT ST. SEBASTIAN'S The Country Day School idea first found tangible expression on Nonantum Hill in Newton in 1907. At that time Mr. Shirley K. Kerns established the first Country Day School on the site now occupied by St. Sebastian's Country Day School. The plan devised by him at that time has been followed very closely in the many schools which have adopted the Country Day ideal since the Country Day School was founded. At the time, Mr. Kerns expressed the main point in- volved in his new venture in this way: The working plan which it is proposed to adopt is modeled on that of the best boarding schools, the intention being to give boys, as far as possible, the ad- vantages of a boarding school without separating them from their parents. This ideal has been adopted to meet the obvious requirements of a Catholic Country Day School at St. Sebastian's. At half-past eight in the morning, Mass is said in the School chapel. The boys are not required to attend this Mass, but are trained to visit the Blessed Sacrament of their own volition before classes begin. The presence of Christ in the chapel may be said to be the inspiring factor in the entire life of the School. This fact is stressed constantly, with most impressive consequences. From nine in the morning until twelve-thirty, the boys are engaged in recita- tions and study periods. At twelve-thirty the boys are served a substantial dinner. The individual tables are presided over by one of the priests of the faculty. After dinner there is a brief period of recreation. At one-thirty classes are resumed, and are continued until three. At three o'clock the various teams assemble either in the gymnasium during the winter months, or on the playing field during the milder weather. Not only does the School organize major teams, but the younger boys are carefully trained under the supervision of the members of the faculty. At four-thirty the signal is given for the end of the school day. After the boys have showered, they gradually drift down the hill toward home. We might say at once that the school is situated within easy reach of the Newton-Brighton car line, so that the boys can go back and forth daily from their homes. Once a year a Retreat is given to the students under the direction of a skilled retreat master. Every First Friday the boys attend Mass in a body, and receive Holy Communion together. The First Friday Breakfast is a pleasant feature of the School's life. One of the most important advantages of the School is the presence of the Masters after the regular classes are ended, to aid and assist the students in any of their scholastic difficulties. The spirit of cooperation between students and mas- ters is both important and impressive. It is very necessary, because the boys must be taught the proper methods of study which will enable them to carry through their scholastic training successfully and with facility. In a word, St. Sebastian's Country Day School endeavors to give every boy a well-trained mind in a strong body, together with an all-pervading sense of his dignity and the responsibilities of Catholic manhood. This is the ideal of the School. With the blessing and help of St. Sebastian we are approximating our ideal.

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fi-' .SQJQIQ 2-6-D FORTITUDE N the early ages of Faith, there were more soldier saints than saints from any other profession. The natural bravery which attracted them to a career of battles and wars was excellent material for God's grace to work on in sublimating them from earthly war- riors into spiritual campaigners who would not be content with less than an eternal kingdom. To effect such a transformation in their outlook on life, the philosopheris stone used by the Divine Alchem- ist was the virtue of Fortitude, infused into their souls as a gift of the Holy Ghost. As a consequence of their possession of it, great soldier saints like Sebastian could endure all things, knowing that there was no limit to their strength as long as Christ was with them. To prepare us to face the spiritually apathetic world of our day, we have been trained at St. Sebastian's under a rigorous regimen designed to develop in us both natural bravery and supernatural Fortitude. The heights of classical culture were given to us to scale, and we found that the only ladder at our command was a slow, pain- ful ascent on rungs of language forms and scientific formulae. For a true understanding of life itself, we were made to realize that it is an enduring warfare and that to cope with it successfully we must draw Fortitude from the Sacraments and use it as the sole effective weapon against the attacks of the world, the flesh and the devil. In view of the fact that Fortitude so aptly expresses the spirit and aims of St. Sebastian's School, we have chosen it to keynote this record of our School life. 'ax fx S f 1

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XJ!-6 vmkx N I H53-, l X -- f .s sl THE MEN N the year of 1947, St. Sebastian's adds the names of twenty-two men to the ever-lenghthening roster of graduates who have fulfilled satisfactorily the require- ments of her training process. Their attainment of a diplo- ma is self-evident proof that they possessed the moral stam- ina to face diiiiculties and overcome them, rather than sub- mit to them. An intimate Sacramental union with Christ, the Source of all strength, has endowed them with the For- itude to live their lives in accordance with His laws. That they may use that Fortitude to merit the grace of final per- severance is the prayer of the School that sends them forth.