Character and Service

Integritas in Omnibus - Integrity in All Things is our school motto.

Within the academic curriculum our faculty incorporates opportunities for students to grow intellectually. Learning is a process that extends well beyond the classroom, and the most enduring form of teaching is by example. As a community, we recognize many daily opportunities for promoting and modeling ethical choices and appropriate behavior.

Daily Chapel, community service efforts and religion classes are just a few of the programs that promote character education. 

Through these programs we strive to create an atmosphere of trust, honesty and mutual respect among students, teachers and parents. These qualities will, in turn, promote not only academic growth, but also the development of moral strength and self-discipline – qualities of character that will enable students to become positive, lifelong contributors to society.

Chapel

Each day at 8:15 a.m. (8:45 a.m. on Wednesdays) the entire Lower School comes together for an interdenominational Chapel. This time for reflection includes a personal message from a faculty member, presentations from students or a visit from a community leader. Chapel topics deal with issues important to the lives of students including service and volunteerism, friendship, respect for others, leadership, honesty and kindness. 

Lower School Virtue of the Month

Each month the Lower School focuses on a different virtue, providing an understanding of its meaning and ways for all children to implement that virtue. The virtue is highlighted through books read in Chapel, discussions in Together and Talk, projects and books in the classroom, and displays on the bulletin board. The virtues included in this program are: friendship, self-control, gratitude, equality, kindness, integrity, conservation (recycling), perseverance, respect, responsibility, citizenship, charity, nonviolence, compassion, honesty, courage and justice.

Together and Talk

On Thursdays students look forward to Together and Talk, an opportunity to discuss issues of character. Each class meets in informal groups to discuss topics such as virtues, student behavior and social issues. Faculty lead the group discussions. Students are encouraged to be honest, just, charitable and respectful of the feelings of others.

Character Counts

Student council members and faculty nominate Lower School students who show Integrity (those who do the right thing - even when no one else is looking). Each month a group of students are recognized. They receive certificates and their photos are displayed in the Lower School commons.