Each classroom uses Heartwood, a beautiful curriculum developed to introduce and reinforce character traits through multicultural stories. We invite you to discuss the character traits with your child and help them find ways at school, home, and in the community to demonstrate these admirable traits.
August/September
Respect and Responsibility
Respect –Respect is an action word. When you are respectful you treat others, yourself and the environment with honor and kindness. When you are respectful, you remember to treat others how you like to be treated
Responsibility – Being responsible means being dependable, keeping promises, and honoring your commitments. It means you accept the consequences for what you say and do.
October
Courage
Courage – Courage is doing something in spite of how scary it may be. It’s the required bravery to try again and carry on.
November
Loyalty
Loyalty – Loyalty means giving support, service and contribution to others. Loyalty means looking outside of ourselves to help others. When we support and stand by others, we are being loyal. Some children may have the idea that loyalty to friends means not “telling on them” or “keeping quiet” or even lying to protect them when they’ve done something wrong. Be careful of this false loyalty. A truly loyal friend will always act in the friend’s best interest to keep them safe and help them make good choices, even if it’s hard.
December/January
Justice and Citizenship
Justice – Justice means standing up for what is right, even when it is not popular. Think of all of the people who have changed the world for the better because they have stood up for what is right.
Citizenship – Citizenship means taking action and being involved to help make home, school, and the community a better place.
February
Hope
Hope - Hope is a powerful emotion. It is the feeling that tomorrow will be better than today and that events will turn out for the best. Hope keeps us going; keeps us trying and tells us “I will be successful.” Hope is an emotion we can feel for ourselves and even give to others. Hope keeps us persevering and seeking out the best in others.
March
Honesty and Integrity
Honesty - Honesty means always telling the truth, even when it’s difficult.
Integrity – Integrity means doing what is right, because it is right, even when no one is looking.
April
Love and Compassion
Love – Love is the feeling of being intensely concerned for another person. It requires a self-sacrificing regard which seeks the well-being of another. Some say love is the most important of all emotions.
Compassion – Compassion is putting love into action. It is helping others in need and acting with kindness. Compassion is being moved to help better another person’s circumstance.
May
Excellence and Perseverance
Perseverance – Perseverance means working at something even when, and especially when, it becomes difficult. It means even when you feel like quitting, you keep trying.
Excellence – Excellence means challenging yourself to do better; making good choices that help you to reach your goal. Excellence means always giving your personal best and raising your bar until you reach your goal.