Our Values

Hawken’s character is found in our motto: Fair Play, a concept that has been at the core of our community’s collective consciousness since our founding in 1915. Our founder James A. Hawken believed that a school’s main job should be to develop each student’s character. His main goal for his new school: “That the better self shall prevail and each generation introduce its successor to a higher plane of life.”

At the Mastery School, we carry these core Hawken values with us and use them to build a community that places character — diligence, perseverance, initiative, responsibility, determination, integrity, fairness, humility — at the center of school life.

Our highest goal is for you to thrive in every dimension of life so that, when you leave us, you’re ready to make a mark on the real world.

Together with our Founding Class, we’re building our school’s community around three core values:

Research shows that academic motivation, emotional stability, and self-esteem increase when young people find meaningful connections within their school community (Allen, Brodrick, Waters, 2016).  That’s why our second value focuses on relationships.

Lasting relationships are hard work. That’s why we foster connection through building layers of peer support into every learning experience, club meeting, and assembly.

You will have opportunities to learn about and find affirmation of your identity in affinity and ally groups while building upon your strengths and learning from blindspots in roundtable discussions. It is our hope to create many seams of connection in order to foster a deep sense of belonging in every member of our community.

Here, your teachers will walk alongside you, as you discover and cultivate your strengths. You’ll have room and tools to connect with your peers around shared interests and values in clubs and activities.

We measure our wealth by the degree to which every student from the broadest range of backgrounds can find and practice empathy, kindness, honesty, and commitment, creating a caring community.