Character Education/Core Virtues

HONESTY - Each person carries out his or her responsibilities carefully and with integrity, never claiming credit for someone else's work and being willing to acknowledge wrongdoing. Students and staff share their ideas openly, in a climate of trust, with a confidence that what is written and spoken is honestly expressed and that all people are trustworthy.

RESPECT - Each person responds sensitively to the ideas and needs of others without dismissing or degrading them. Differences among people are celebrated and all members of the community are able to accept both praise and constructive suggestions from others. While affirming individual freedom, the rights of the group are also fully honored.

RESPONSIBILITY - Each person has a sense of duty to fulfill willingly the tasks he or she has accepted or has been assigned. All work is conscientiously performed. Members of the community feel comfortable asking for help and agree that they must be held accountable for their behavior.

COMPASSION - Each person is considerate and caring. There is a recognition that everyone, from time to time, feels hurt, confused, or sad. Instead of ignoring such conditions, people reach out to one another. In the case of conflict, members of the community seek reconciliation and try to understand each other, even forgive.

SELF-DISCIPLINE - Each person agrees to live within limits, not only the ones mutually agreed upon, but, above all, those established personally. Self-discipline is exercised in relationships with others, especially in the way people speak to one another. Self-discipline also applies to the use of time. At the simplest level, self control reflects habits of good living.

PERSEVERANCE - Each person is diligent, with the inner strength and determination to pursue well-defined goals. It does matter that a task be completed once begun, and to persevere not only teaches discipline, but brings rewards as well. Each person pushes hard to complete assignments, and all members of the community willingly support others in their work.

GIVING - Each person discovers that one of life's greatest satisfactions comes from giving to others, and recognizes that talents should be shared, through service. Rather than waiting to be asked, members of the community look for opportunities to contribute positively to the needs of others, without expectation of reward.

Based on the Basic School research of Ernest L. Boyer