“Integrity isn’t made up of DNA (or a GPA) but of learned beliefs, capacities, attitudes, and skills that create a moral compass that children use to help them know what’s right, care about what’s right, and do what’s right.” –Michele Borba, ED.D, Thrivers, p. 140
April’s character word of the month is integrity. It is a word that defined my desire to teach and eventually lead in independent schools. I have purposely sought employment in schools that valued imparting a strong moral compass in their students, and my greatest joy is watching students develop the skills to navigate a very tricky world.
It will come as no surprise to anyone that children are not born with a sense of morality or honor. They learn it. It is modeled for them. They have to practice it. Just like learning a new sport, they sometimes “miss the shot.” The beauty of leading a K-8 school is that we have the opportunity to impart the foundations of a life of integrity in a community that acknowledges that mistakes are a part of the learning process.
Over the course of their time at James River, students will learn how to navigate tricky social situations and be held accountable for their actions. They will learn how to apologize and rebuild relationships. They will find that telling the truth is integral to building trust in communities, and they will grasp that they represent their family and their school, even when they are not at school.
I mentioned previously that our middle school robotics team won a sportsmanship award at the State Invitational over Spring Break. Our lower school students recently participated in the First Lego League Expo and earned many medals for creativity and innovation, including terrific teamwork. More recently, our eighth graders displayed their Career Day projects from their time spent shadowing a professional in a career of interest. While their projects were impressive, I was most impressed with their desire to try something new and share honestly about their experiences with our younger students. The ability to mentor our younger students in such a profound way is just one way our students develop complex skills like integrity.
It is deeply satisfying to watch our young people grow into young adults with integrity. I look forward to seeing many of you at upcoming events.
Let’s Fly!
Jenn