Taylor Stockdale's Recent Letters

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  • A Beautiful Failure

    Taylor Stockdale
    February 28, 2013

    In this age of zealous parenting (I can say this because I am as guilty as anyone), when we give out trophies for just about everything, I wonder if we are teaching our children how to fail and pick themselves back up?

  • Taylor and Anne Stockdale, Claire '14, Bailey '11

    Lincoln’s Moral Courage

    Taylor Stockdale
    November 19, 2012

    I just saw Spielberg’s Lincoln. It was a movie I long anticipated, and it did not disappoint. At the same time, I am currently rereading Larry McMillin’s wonderful account of Sawney Webb (Thompson Webb’s father). The Schoolmaker is a work of art, and watching the movie and reading the book has made me think about Lincoln’s wonderful example of moral courage – a trait central to Webb’s mission today.

  • The Measure of Our Success

    Taylor Stockdale
    September 12, 2012

    This spring a series of ranking lists for U.S. high schools once again set the news media abuzz. The three most prominent rankings released were compiled by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek/The Daily Beast and The Washington Post...

  • Taylor and Anne Stockdale, Claire '14, Bailey '11

    To the Senior Parents of the Class of 2012

    Taylor Stockdale
    May 18, 2012

    Dear Senior Parents,

    Years ago when my kids were young and Anne and I were shuttling from play dates to soccer matches, my mom said something to me that stopped me in my tracks. She said, “As busy as you are, savor these times. Raising kids is all about long days and short years.”

  • Plain Living and High Thinking

    Taylor Stockdale
    April 11, 2012

    There is a wonderful expression that Thompson Webb used to say – one which dates back to Sawney Webb and the Tennessee hill country – “Plain Living and High Thinking.” To me, the Vivian Webb Chapel represents this spirit of plain living and high thinking. By building the structure the way he did, Thompson was sending a message to the community. This is a place of Spartan mold where we use our hands, as well as our minds, to build honorable leaders

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