From the Principal’s Desk
 May 2010
"Character education is as old as education itself. Throughout history, education has had two great goals: to help people become smart and to help them become good," writes education professor Thomas Lickona in his 1993 Educational Leadership article "The Return of Character Education."
As spring approaches so does the desire to test boundaries especially with our students in the intermediates grades and those in grade six. We work very hard with parents to help students realize the effects of bullying and the role they can play to help keep our school culture one of harmony, acceptance, understanding and kindness.
The school expectation is that if someone has an issue with someone else they share it with that person directly. Many times students can do that on their own but at times students may be uncomfortable or concerned about the other person’s reaction. Mrs. Kloosterboer and I are happy to act as facilitators for these sometimes difficult conversations so we can get to the real issues in a respectful and safe way. It is also an excellent teaching opportunity to assist students with learning these skills. Rumour spreading, name calling, bringing other students into a conflict is not acceptable. If we can address the issue directly at the source we can stop it from becoming larger.
We are also trying to coach students to understand that personal confidence comes from being kind, respectful, considerate and making an effort to continue learning and growing. We all make mistakes but repeated mistakes around the same issue serve as a warning to adults that additional instruction is needed. Consequences are part of life. It is important to teach students that when they make choices they need to consider the consequences of their actions and how it might affect their options to do other things. If they wait until they are adults to learn this, the consequences can be life altering and irreversible.
Gwen and I would like to thank all the parents/guardians and volunteers who support us on this journey. We believe that ALL children are good and that they come to school with a desire to succeed academically, have friends and learn to navigate the social world. Students who enter high school with a strong sense of self do not fall victim to those that will try to lead them off their path of success. Thank you once again. We know that we cannot do it without your help.
L. Morris
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