House System

Athanasius House is symbolized by the honor torch for personal character and virtue and is represented by the color ruby, or red.

St. Athanasius (296 – 373) was a Bishop of the Egyptian church and is one of the most significant thinkers and founders of the church. The books of the New Testament, as they appear in our modern Bibles, were first listed by Athanasius in 367 in his 39th festal letter to the congregations under his care. Exiled four times during his time as Bishop by Arian emperors, Athanasius was a steadfast defender of the orthodox view of Jesus’ dual natures as well as Trinitarian dogma.

Most Christian communities recognize him now to be a foundational thinker of Christian beliefs, and his feast day is celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox, Catholic, and Anglican communions. Gregory of Nazianzus (another father of the church) called Athanasius “A Pillar of the Church,” and writing about him stated: “When I praise Athanasius, virtue itself is my theme: for I name every virtue as often as I mention him who was possessed of all virtues. He was the true pillar of the church. His life and conduct were the rule of bishops, and his doctrine the rule of the orthodox faith."

Hildegard House is symbolized by the quill for the arts and letters and is represented by the color amethyst, or purple.

Hildegard of Bingen (1098 – 1179) was a female monastic who founded two monasteries, wrote many works of Christian art, including one play, and was elevated to the title of Doctor of the Western Church by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. An Abbess in the Benedictine Order, and regarded as a polymath, Hildegard was a Christian mystic whose personal encounters with Christ through visions shaped her theology and her works of art.

She wrote medical, botanical, and theological texts, in addition to numerous musical compositions (sixty-nine still survive) and one of the oldest surviving morality dramas of the West, the Ordo Virtutum. She continues to inspire musicians and healers to this day.

Lewis House is symbolized by the book for the arts and letters and is represented by the color turquoise, or light blue. Referencing the book on our school seal, it represents the belief that students must be well read and able to join in the Great Conversation that occurs when thinking people read.

C.S. Lewis’ (1898 – 1963) writing and speeches both contributed to this conversation and beckoned others to enter into it. During his lifetime, Lewis wrestled with the implications of faith as a lived reality through his many apologetic and fictional works. He lived his faith by serving as president of Cambridge’s Socratic Society, which encouraged students to meet in order to wrestle with the intersection of intellect and faith.

Meitner House is symbolized by the atom for the sciences and is represented by the color emerald, or green. An understanding of the sciences, which includes mathematics and technology, as well as all forms of physical and biological sciences, is critical for appreciating fully the Creation and thus ourselves.

Dr. Lise Meitner (1878 – 1968) was a dedicated woman of science who grew up in Austria and, after finishing the allowed course of studies for women, was privately tutored to continue her education. She earned a doctorate in math and physics. In Berlin she taught classes in quantum physics and studied radioactivity before she was forced to escape Nazi Germany.

She was the first to calculate the amount of energy released during nuclear fission and coined the term fission based on her research. While her research helped lead others to develop the atomic bomb, she used it to help produce the first peacetime nuclear reactors and served on the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission (International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after 1957). After retiring from research, she spent her time traveling, encouraging, and supporting female scientists in their careers, telling them, “Remember that science can bring both joy and satisfaction to your life.”

Robinson House is symbolized by the winged shoe for athletics competition and is represented by the color sapphire, or royal blue. Relating to the winged shoes on our school seal, it represents the forming of character through disciplined devotion.

Jackie Robinson (1919 – 1972) exhibited this character and discipline by standing for equality of race despite violent and cultural opposition. He remains an example of seeing imago Dei – that we are all made in God’s image – as the highest calling of humanity rather than acquiescing to cultural standards. He lived his faith by embracing Christ’s call to stand firm for truth and demonstrate love even to those who persecute you, while relying on prayer and God’s strength to persevere.