Our Core Values

by: Senior Kindergarten Teachers Lauren Brody, Caroline Jones, and Karen Larson

Do you return your shopping cart when you go to the grocery store? When this question was posed recently, it made us pause. While returning a shopping cart might seem trivial, it was later explained that a person who returns their shopping cart to the right spot after a shopping adventure is responsible. Despite being tired, they show respect to their fellow shoppers and will take the time to walk across a busy parking lot to place their cart back in the cart receptacle all while dodging cars, and monitoring their environment. They have integrity and intrinsically know they are doing the right thing, by caring about the well-being of others and taking care of their shopping space. This made us think about a recent book we read in our Senior Kindergarten classroom by Ellen Javernick called, “What If Everybody Did That.” The book shares the story of a boy who makes irresponsible choices and sees the consequences for his actions. In one scene he chooses to feed the bears at the zoo, and as a result the bears become sick. In another, he decides to throw a can out the window of his car, and is reminded that if everyone did that, there would be litter scattered everywhere. The book later goes on to show that consequences are not bad, but rather just what comes next. For example at the end of the story the boy gives his mother a hug and the consequence is that love is shared and days are brightened.

Our children are always watching and learning. The core values we model will become their values. Every day at Rossman, students practice our core values of honesty, respect, responsibility, and kindness. These values are a cornerstone of our school and it could be argued that it is what makes our school such a special place to learn. In Senior Kindergarten, we spend a solid month at the beginning of the year explicitly speaking to these core values, with a minimum of at least a week dedicated to each of these four values. We share literature, do activities, have discussions, and most importantly spend time modeling situations for students. In every grade honesty, respect, responsibility, and kindness are woven into every part of a student's day. From respectfully speaking to teachers and classmates, to doing the right thing even when no one is looking, the Rossman core values are practiced throughout each day. As teachers we understand that students are observing, and we know that these values are not only helpful for students to practice during their tenure at Rossman, but also throughout their entire lives.

Tips for Supporting Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, and Kindness

1. Be kinder to yourself and others: find moments to see joy, to be silly, and have fun with your loved ones. Slow down and be present, listen to your children’s thoughts and ideas.
2. Provide opportunities for children to take on new responsibilities, offering support when needed. Children grow their self esteem as they find success in their responsibilities.
3. Be honest with your children and yourself - mean what you say, and say what you mean.
4. Provide natural consequences (both positive and negative) for your children.
5. Most importantly, consistently and actively model the behavior you want to see in your child. They will emulate the level of respect, responsibility, honesty, and kindness you show others.

So what if everybody did that? 

Knowing that our next generation will embody these core values makes the future a very bright place. Now let’s all return our shopping carts!