Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Our 9 Pillars of Virtue

        Friendship
 We regard others and ourselves as deserving of kind and just treatment. Our conduct is considerate and polite. We look for the good in others and demonstrate compassion. Our attitudes toward others and their property reflect the way we wish to be treated.




 Humility 
We do not brag or compare ourselves to others. We always strive to dour best whether we are recognized or not.







  Perseverance 
 We spurn despair and strive to complete tasks to the best of our abilities, regardless of the difficulty. We respond creatively to overcome obstacles and ask for help when necessary.






Wisdom
 We learn from our mistakes and think before we act. We look to the great thinkers of the past for guidance on making good choices.

          





 Integrity
We are individuals of strong ethical values, who make consistently good choices in keeping with our knowledge of right and wrong. We seek the wisdom of others in cases of moral uncertainty.






Responsibility 
We accept obligations related to our own good and the good of others, and we act on those obligations in a manner suitable to their timely and satisfactory fulfillment. We are willingly accountable for what we do and say, and we seek to learn from our mistakes.





Courage 
We always do what we know to be right despite fear, hardship, and opposition. We resist negative peer pressure, defend our rights and the rights of others, and encourage others to do the same.







Citizenship
We honor rules and laws and respond to authority in obedience. We give of our time and abilities to serve others. We uphold liberty and social equality through respect for individual differences and knowledge of our democratic system.





Honesty
We never knowingly induce another to believe what is false. We are always truthful in what we say and do, regardless of the circumstances or consequences.








All 9 virtues will be introduced to your scholar. We say a pledge to one of the nine virtues every morning for one week each after our the Pledge of Allegiance.
The virtues are  woven into our decorum and expectations everyday. Students regularly highlight virtue (or lack of virtue) in characters from our literature. Students are presented with the opportunity to highlight and nominate peers when virtuous behavior is demonstrated. When students are recognized and acknowledged we place a brass Abraham Lincoln book end on their desk, as an acknowledgement for their virtuous conduct. These "acknowledgements" move about regularly. Students are excited to look for the good in their classmates and learn that they should strive to do their best whether they are recognized or not.