Philosophy and Objectives

"Delbarton School, an independent, Roman Catholic learning
community conducted by the Benedictine monks of St. Mary’s Abbey
with their lay colleagues, welcomes young men in grades 7-12
from diverse backgrounds, and challenges them to pursue excellence,
to develop leadership, and to build character by educating
the whole person: mind, body, and spirit."
-Delbarton Mission Statement

Delbarton School is founded on the 1500-year tradition of Benedictine learning which, based on the fundamental values that spring from the Judeo-Christian tradition, seeks to develop the whole person, both as an individual creature of spirit, mind, and body, and as a member of a community.

As a Benedictine Abbey School, Delbarton considers its immediate purpose the education of young men, understood in larger than purely academic terms. The School invites young men to explore all their experiences in a context in which Gospel values are lived with conviction. The School, therefore, seeks to create a positive environment in which personal and religious affirmation can be made.

The School believes that the individual is capable of developing life-long habits of intellectual renewal, of receptivity to spiritual renewal, and of willingness to contribute to the renewal of society. We also believe that individual renewal is enhanced by experiencing the sense of belonging to a community whose members are disposed at once to speak and to listen, a community which honors diversity of persons and the spirit of openness, collaboration and mutual understanding. These qualities which are honored in the School are cultivated by our recognition that essential meanings are disclosed through the patient practice of conversation—both inside and outside the classroom, both formal and informal, not only between teacher and student but also between teacher and teacher as well as student and student. Moreover, these values are cultivated by our recognition that we are participants in the continuing conversation that constitutes our inherited tradition, and so we are constantly striving to improve our precision in thinking, listening, reading, speaking, and writing, and to enliven our imagination to experience and to create.

The pursuit of personal renewal carries with it an obligation to contribute to the renewal of society, to participate in its formation and contribute to its development, to exercise leadership in the service of community. Through the student government as well as through the activities, athletics, and campus ministry programs, we strive to encourage leadership, self-confidence, tolerance, accountability, the courage to try something new, and the ability to contend as an individual and as a member of a group.

Delbarton School offers a traditional college-preparatory liberal arts curriculum which seeks to help the young man develop the knowledge, skills, integrity, and sensitivity which distinguish a self-renewing educated person. Thus, focusing on the content and modes of inquiry appropriate to the individual academic disciplines, the faculty, while encouraging young men to strive for high standards of intellectual performance and to assume responsibility for gaining both knowledge and judgment, seek to help them acquire:

• The ability to shape a thought, to speak, and to write precisely and cogently;
• An understanding and critical appreciation of the ways in which knowledge of nature, human kind, and the universe is gained through experimental and quantitative methods of analysis;
• Skills in a language and sensitivity toward a culture other than their own;
• A critical understanding of the historical forces that have shaped the world and the United States in particular;
• An informed acquaintance with some modes of literary, artistic, and musical expression as well as canons of criticism appropriate to each;
• An ability to reason logically and abstractly and to develop manipulative skills in mathematics;
• The logic, language, and skills necessary to use products of modern technology;
• Experience in structured and concentrated physical activity and a familiarity with key issues that affect physical well-being;
• Knowledge of the doctrine, scriptural interpretation, ethical system and historical development of the Roman Catholic Church;
• And an appreciation for the history and the spirituality of the Benedictine order.

In summary, Delbarton School seeks to provide a congenial atmosphere which fosters a love of learning and challenges young men to know themselves and to find ways to extend their capacities for their own benefit and for the benefit of the community.

Delbarton School adheres to a long-standing policy of admitting students of any race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, racial, or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, athletic and other school-administered programs.