One of the 6 loves of Great Hearts is conversation and community. As Aristotle notes in his “Politics”, man is a social creature – he finds his material necessities as well as all that can be conducive to the good life in community. For human communities to be united in this manner, certain customs and norms must be decided on. These manners and ways of living are one way in which the various peoples of the world make themselves a unique and recognizable society.

These manners and customs though are not innate, and though there are some wrong ways of doing these things, there is not simply one right way. So these must be taught and passed down from one generation to the next if they are to be maintained. At Great Hearts Irving, we seek to make this effort of handing down the rules of etiquette unique to our culture in America, in Texas, and at Great Hearts Irving. We do this by spending time once a quarter in lyceum going over some aspect of etiquette. Administrators will deliver interactive lessons and invite conversation about some topic related to manners and customs pertinent to the students in their life at school and abroad. The lesson ends with a challenge for the students to complete to practice the manners they have learned.

Areas of etiquette we have taught include (but are not limited to): thank you notes, event etiquette, care for public spaces, dance etiquette, and dining etiquette. We hope that this serves as a formative experience for scholars and for the campus at large.