Prep4Ward

What man is a man who does not make the world better?

At Avon Old Farms, every boy attends weekly classes and workshops in Character, Masculinity, and Brotherhood for one half of the year and Health, Wellness, DEI, and College Preparedness for the other half of the year through grade-specific small-group meetings with selected faculty, administrators, and invited speakers from both within and outside the Avon community to intentionally educate, model, and foster in every boy the importance of being a Good Man and a Good Brother.

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Character

Avon Old Farms School for Boys “was founded as a protest against the conventional preparatory institutions, which [our founder: Theodate Pope Riddle] believed paid inadequate attention to forming character.” Instead, she created a school that “is intended to train [its boys] for citizenship and to teach the lessons of life – not a mere ‘preparation’ to secure promotions or to pass examinations – character-building and the turning out of leaders will be the aims”. Her “indestructible school for boys” “emphasizes not sameness among boys but differences, not patterns but personalities…the most significant part of an education that seeks, above all, to release the power within [each boy]”. The italics are from Mrs. Riddle’s own writing.

In Mrs. Riddle’s words, “there is a great need today for men of independent thought, who are capable of assuming responsibility on a strong, ethical basis.” At Avon Old Farms School, our mission is to “develop boys into men of strong moral character with conviction”. We do this through our four-year course on Character and Brotherhood that focuses on defining what a Good Man is and how each boy can be a Good Brother. By covering topics such as integrity, character, brotherhood, masculinity, moral courage, accountability, resilience and leadership we teach boys to live up to our founder’s vision of a group of boys and men who will “merge [their] personal interests with the larger interests of the community in which [they] live.”

Definition of a Good Man
Content by Grade Level

Definition of a Good Man

A Good Man does what he says he will do. He displays integrity (his beliefs and values are reflected and expressed in his words and actions). He is loyal to (protects and nurtures) the people in his life and community. He accepts responsibility for all of his choices, and he knows that every single action he takes and word he speaks or writes is his choice. He is both humble and self-aware - knowing what he does well and where he needs to grow while always admitting to and learning from his missteps. He is resilient and self-reliant - able to learn and grow from all experiences - and he knows how, when, and of whom to ask for help. He is adaptable to and flexible in and with unfamiliar situations, environments, and people, and he knows where he feels most at home. He expresses his thoughts and feelings in a passionate, honest, and courteous manner and listens with patience, empathy, and a desire to learn. He values Brotherhood by placing the needs of the group above the desires of the individual while understanding that part of his responsibility as a Good Brother is to care for his own happiness, peace and wellbeing.

Content by Grade Level

9th Grade will focus on an introduction to the school and to this program. They will be introduced to the school’s definition of a Good Man and how it applies to the culture and the expectations of the school. In addition, the focus of this year will be on Integrity - the expression of our held beliefs and values in our words and actions.

10th Grade will reintroduce what it means to be a Man of Avon (a Good Man) and will focus on Moral Courage (the strength it takes to stand for the people and beliefs we hold dearest even when there may be consequences for doing so), Integrity (making choices that reflect our core beliefs), and Loyalty (both protecting and nurturing the people in our lives).

11th Grade will focus on Accountability (every action we take is our choice, and we are responsible for the outcomes of those choices), Resilience (learning and growing from our experiences – even those that deeply challenge us), and Adaptability (finding that we can be successful – a combination of effective and fulfilled – in and with a variety of environments, systems, and people).

12th Grade will focus on Brotherhood and Leadership. Both of these are complex ideas that require us to know what we will stand for and stand against, to what and to whom we are loyal, and that we define being a Good Man as one who makes the world better.

Health and Wellness

The Health and Wellness component will include, but will not be limited to, topics such as the college process, sexual health, relationships, nutrition, mental health, substance use and abuse, personal care, sleep, and mindfulness.

Health & Wellness Content & Speakers

Health & Wellness Content & Speakers

College
- Rep visits, Application Plans, Leaves to visit colleges
- Common App: FERPA and Recommendations
- CA Activities Section
Nutrition - Dana White
Mental Health Awareness (NAMI - National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Zach Green (alum)
- Living with a drug addiction
Online Safety / Laws - Julie Fay
Self care
Sleep & Anxiety Tool kits
Intro to Mindfulness & Yoga
Drugs, Alcohol and Substance use/abuse
Sexual Health / Sexual Citizenship
- Justine Fonte
- Sex Ed Team

Chapel, Compass, and Vespers

Our Chapel, Compass, and Vespers services are intended to 1) accord fully with our mission statement, particularly as it is carried out in our character curriculum, Prep4ward, and 2) to expose our boys to members of our community (students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents) who have spiritual direction to offer, whether religious, artistic, personal, professional, or otherwise. To recall our mission statement: Avon Old Farms develops boys into men of strong moral character with conviction who learn together in an inclusive, time-honored community defined by academic, athletic, and creative excellence.

Structure of the Program
Compass Summaries

Structure of the Program

Chapel
Chapel meetings are held Tuesdays and Thursday during the first half of lunch, and will last for about twenty minutes. We will sing, listen, and reflect. The student speaker will be the same both Tuesday and Thursday, so that the entire school will hear him. On Tuesday, half the student body will go to Chapel at the start of the lunch period, and afterward attend lunch with their advisors, where they will have a chance to reflect on the Chapel Talk. On Thursday, the other half of the student body will go to Chapel, and then lunch.

Compass
Compass will be held in the Brown every Wednesday Morning, at 8:45 - 9:10 AM. The meeting is named “Compass” to characterize its overarching purpose - to offer spiritual direction. At these meetings, members of our community (faculty, staff, alumni, parents), and potentially outside speakers will offer a brief talk. These meetings begin with announcements, then to singing and to listening, and end with the offering of our school prayer.

Vespers
Vespers services are special meetings. There are 4 Vespers meetings: Opening Vespers (9/17), at which the Head of School addresses the boys, Vespers before Thanksgiving break, Christmas Vespers, and Senior Vespers at the end of the year, and again with Mr. Detora. These meetings mark important moments in our life together.

Compass Summaries

Boys are Relational Learners

Prep4Ward augments our existing academic program with grade-level instruction about essential issues that shape our students’ lives now and in the future. Recognizing that boys are relational learners, Avon faculty and staff participate in these sessions either as lead teachers helping to develop content and provide instruction or as facilitators of small-group exercises, activities, and discussions. Student leaders also participate by sharing their experiences that might be important to developing the topic at hand.

Additionally, Prep4ward features a significant number of sessions on topics related to the college process and academic achievement, from managing the college application process and transitioning to a college campus and all of the related social issues to introducing effective and healthy study strategies.

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