At East Hills Academy, our mission is “to kindle a love of virtue and knowledge.” This mission is derived from and founded on the belief that children flourish when they have a deep understanding of our world and their place in it. A deep understanding of our world includes a rich and broad knowledge of the liberal arts, and a deep understanding of their place in our world proceeds from this knowledge, invoking a responsibility to it and to others.
Our mission is simple, but not easy, and it takes a lifetime to pursue. Our goal is not just to prepare students for the next grade level, high school, college, or a career. Our mission goes well beyond that; it’s a fifty-year mission. We are engaged in the long work of forming children into thoughtful citizens, responsible neighbors, and people of character who will positively shape their communities for years to come. That’s why our mission begins with the words, “to kindle a love,” because our approach is not built around behavior compliance or simply pushing information at students. Our goal is to inspire them. We do this by presenting all students with a feast of the greatest literature, poetry, art, music, historical events, mathematical concepts, and scientific discoveries from around the world and across time, inviting them to see the world more clearly and know it more deeply. We also do this by reading stories that highlight virtue, draw lessons from history and literature, and intentionally cultivate a culture of character in our school. This begins with our teachers and staff exemplifying high character to help guide all students toward becoming good neighbors and responsible citizens.
“Virtue” comes before “knowledge” in our mission because academic success alone is not enough. If we graduate the smartest students in the city, but they lack integrity, responsibility, honesty, or compassion, then we have ultimately failed in our mission. As Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” Intelligence without character does not build healthy communities or a flourishing society. We want students to become people who do the right thing even when it is difficult and people who serve others well. Excellence does not mean perfection, but it does mean growth.
Students will leave East Hills Academy not only with strong academic foundations, but also with a love of learning and a deeper sense of responsibility toward others. We want children to become lifelong learners because they have learned to love learning itself. And when they eventually face moments that test their character, our hope is that they remember the stories they encountered and the examples they saw around them. That is the beauty of an education at East Hills Academy.