Courage, honor and truth – words the Brunswick community lives with every day and this year the theme in the Lower School. The focus this fall is “courage”, to be followed by "honor" and "truth" later in the school year. So, who are role models of courage for our Lower School boys? Well, when asked, here was their reply at an assembly held earlier this month.
The first grade looked to the work of fire fighters, ambulance workers and police officers as examples of courage obvious to the boys’ in their everyday lives. While it takes courage to track down criminals and fight fires the first graders especially noted that “not getting grossed out by blood REALLY takes courage.”
The second grade was more far reaching in their role models for courage. Can you imagine the courage it took for Neil Armstrong to fly to the moon and then walk on the moon? And what about American soldiers who “leave behind everything to stand up for their country?” That takes courage. An interesting example given by the second graders was the courage it takes for Rick Hoyt, a man with cerebral palsy to enter triathlons with his father. Rick has to trust his father to swim with him, when Rick cannot swim alone, balance on a bike with him on board and be pushed at fast speeds in a road race.
Grade Three boys talked about Matty Stepanak who was born with muscular dystrophy but nevertheless had a mission to spread the message of hope and peace. In his short life he was able to do that through poetry. He did not live in fear because of his disease but rather lived courageously in spite of it. On a broader note the third graders talked about Doctors Without Borders. These doctors risk their lives and share their skills believing that no one should go without medical care because they live in a war zone, for example. Doctors Without Borders believe that if “I can I must” and therefore exhibit the courage to leave the comfort of their lives stateside to help around the world.
Lastly Grade Three highlighted the life Jackie Joyner-Kersee who had the courage to pursue her Olympic dream and overcame poverty and discrimination thereby serving as a sterling role model of courage.
Pat Tillman was sited as example of courage by Grade Four. Pat gave up a life as a well-paid pro football star to fight for his country. Anyone who joins the military is exhibiting courage but it is further courage to step out of such a comfortable life style into the rigors of the military. The boys sited Pat Tillman for courage, not because he died for our country but because he made courageous choices. George Washington was their next role model as he never gave up when out-numbered and out-skilled on the battlefield, leading the rebel army with great courage and in his political career he had the courage to step down from the Presidency after eight years. He could have kept that job for life, as many suggested, but he exhibited courage in promoting the orderly transfer of power.
Grade Four ended its presentation on courage talking about Yuri Gagarin, the first Russian astronaut who went into space when no one had ever done that previously. This man showed that seemingly impossible dreams can come true if someone has the courage to move into unknown territory.
Mrs. Lindberg then summed up courage in the boys’ lives by saying that courageous acts happen every day. The person who takes the risk and goes first, the person who takes the risk to ask or answer a question, the person who takes the risk to be a leader and make a friend happy, not follow a group behaving in an unacceptable way, each are courageous acts in daily life. Everyday acts of courage come from a basis of love. The boys at Brunswick are loved by the faculty and in turn should exhibit that love through their acts of courage.
Stay tuned as the year goes on and the theme of courage plays out for the Lower School boys.