the arete award (to be given to six special students)

What moves the Greek warrior to deeds of heroism is not a sense of duty as we understand it – duty towards others: it is rather duty towards himself. He strives after that which we translate ‘virtue’ but is in Greek arete, ‘excellence’…

Arete

Arete is an ancient Greek word that means excellence bound up with fulfilling your purpose. It is the act of living up to your full potential, of being your best and doing your best. It is Quality, with a capital ‘Q’.

I chose this title for your award because we don’t have an equivalent word in English. Unfortunately, neither do we teach the idea behind arete in school. Instead, we focus on grades and test scores. But what is really important?

That we cultivate in ourselves a love for learning, because without that life is pretty dull.

That we do our work in a way that we are proud of everything that bears our name.

If you seek learning, you display arete as a student, and all of you that have received this award from me do. I am doubly proud of you because you did this despite the grades and test scores. And because of this, you are not common, so never lose this quality because it sets you apart.

Like I said before, it is you guys that kept me motivated in teaching. I thank you.

- Ms. Chang

Thus the hero of the Odyssey is a great fighter, a wily schemer, a ready speaker, a man of stout heart and broad wisdom who know that he must endure without too much complaining what the gods send; and he can both build and sail a boat, drive a furrow as straight as anyone, beat a young braggart at throwing discus, challenge the youth at boxing, wrestling or running; flay, skin, cut up and cook an ox, and be moved to tears by a song. He is in fact an excellent all-rounder; he has surpassing arete.