This year, Amicus once again held its admissions examinations for kindergarten and elementary school. The interviews with parents provided me with a valuable opportunity to hear firsthand about their hopes and aspirations for their children’s future.

One thing in particular stood out to me during these interviews: how deeply committed parents are to finding the best possible educational environment for their children. Their hopes and expectations varied. Some wanted to help their children reach their full potential. Others hoped their children would grow and learn in an environment where English is used as a language of instruction, or have opportunities to experience different cultures and values.

Despite these differences, one common desire emerged: as parents, they want to give their children the best possible educational environment they can today, with their children’s future firmly in mind.

As I met with more and more parents, an ancient Chinese story came vividly to mind: the story of Mencius’s mother and her three moves.

I believe I first learned about this story in a Japanese language class during high school. Since then, it had gradually faded into the back of my mind, and I rarely thought about it in my daily life. Yet, through this year’s admissions interviews, the story suddenly came back to me with remarkable clarity.

The story, known as Mencius’s Mother Moves Three Times, tells how the mother of Mencius, the renowned Chinese philosopher, moved house three times in search of an environment that would be most conducive to her son’s education.

Their first home was near a cemetery. There, Mencius began imitating funeral ceremonies in his play. Concerned about this, his mother moved the family near a marketplace. However, Mencius soon began imitating the merchants as they bought and sold their goods. So his mother moved once again, this time near a school. There, Mencius began imitating the students and scholars he saw practicing proper manners and pursuing their studies. His mother decided that this was finally the right place to raise her son, and they remained there.

The lesson of this story is how profoundly a child’s surroundings can influence their growth and development. Children learn not only from what their teachers teach them, but also from their interactions with friends, their everyday experiences at school, and the words and actions of the adults around them.

As I reflected on the parents I met during this year’s interviews, I was struck by how closely their attitudes mirrored the spirit of this ancient story. Although the times and societies we live in are very different, I realized that one thing has remained unchanged throughout the centuries: a parent’s desire to see their child grow and develop in the best possible environment.

We are truly grateful that parents consider Amicus among the many schools available and are willing to entrust us with their children’s education. However, our responsibility does not end with being chosen by parents. What truly matters is that the children who join our school grow, develop, and thrive, and that their parents can look back and say, “We are so glad we chose Amicus.” We believe that fulfilling this responsibility is at the very heart of our mission as a school.

This year’s admissions interviews not only brought the story of Mencius’s mother back to mind, but also gave me an opportunity to reflect once again on the important role a school must play.

Parents choose Amicus because they want the very best for their children’s future. We must honor that trust by helping their children grow and develop in meaningful and tangible ways.

With this commitment in mind, we will continue working together as a faculty and staff to create an educational environment where every child can experience the joy of learning and develop their full potential.

Ken Oshiro, Headmaster