Character Development
Rossman School interweaves character education throughout its program and community. We believe that children must first possess a strong character before they can begin to gain other forms of knowledge and wisdom. Rossman provides a safe learning community where students learn the core values of kindness, honesty, respect, and responsibility in a variety of social and academic contexts including:
- academic lessons
- the Rossman School Family Program
- the Sixth Grade Advisory Program
- class meetings, discussions and advisories
- service learning opportunities
- student leadership roles and democratic processes
- daily interactions within the school community
- the positive role modeling of faculty, staff and administration
Rossman School’s approach to character education extends from the following beliefs:
- We love and respect our students.
- We build strong relationships with children so that they are willing to ask for guidance and prepared to accept our advice.
- We teach the four Rossman Rules most effectively when we model them ourselves.
- We hold high expectations for our students and ourselves, providing adequate support to achieve these high expectations.
- We help children to set goals and teach them strategies to achieve success.
- We encourage students to always strive for their personal best.
- We nurture students through their mistakes.
- We help students understand friendship and teach them how to be good friends.
- We help students to work with and appreciate others.
- We teach students conflict resolution skills and allow them the freedom to practice these skills in the school environment.
- We believe discipline is a learning process.
- We use rules and natural consequences to develop reasoning and respect for others.
- We believe that consequences should help children understand their mistakes and learn how to make appropriate choices in the future.
- We offer students a voice in the school and in the classroom.
- We encourage all of our students to be leaders and offer them sufficient opportunities to lead and model for their peers.
- We teach about character in meaningful contexts through reading, writing, and research.
- We offer students opportunities for community service where they can actively help others.
- We involve parents as partners in building our students’ character.
- We offer parents support and educational opportunities to help them be stronger parents and to develop stronger relationships with their children.
- We communicate frequently and effectively with parents regarding issues of character development.