character education

One of the founding tenets of our program is the belief that social-emotional learning is just as important as academic learning in a child’s education. In order to create a safe, productive, and respectful learning environment, teachers spend time each day connecting with students and demonstrating what it means to be a positive and contributing friend, student, and classroom citizen. The school’s Guiding Principles help to provide the foundation for how we interact, live, work, and play together within the school community.

our guiding principles

• I do nothing to harm myself or others.
  
• I am responsible for my behavior.
  
• I take pride in myself and in my work
  
• I leave it better than I found it.
  
• We are each other’s keepers.

Teachers introduce these community values through a Responsive Classroom model of instruction that includes daily community-building routines like morning meeting, collaboratively created classroom rules, clear expectations, positive reinforcement, and logical consequences that transform mistakes into opportunities to learn and grow. In addition, teachers share lessons from the FISH! Program that help students understand the value of collaboration and teamwork, role play and discuss ways to handle conflicts, choose a positive attitude, and support others by being there when they need it most.