Character Education

 
Again, we will emphasize Character Education at Akin this school year. This program promotes values through Six Character Traits: Responsibility, Respect, Trustworthiness, Caring, Fairness, and Citizenship. Each six-week period, one of the Six Traits will be emphasized. Our trait for the third six weeks is Caring.
 
We encourage you to become actively involved by reinforcing these traits at home. If you have questions or need additional information about the program, please contact our counselor, Mrs. Montgomery or your child’s teacher.
 
We are happy to announce the start of Rachel’s Challenge at Akin Elementary.  This program is based on the writings and beliefs of a young teenager, Rachel Joy Scott.  Rachel was the first person killed in the Columbine High tragedy.  In our program we do not talk about her death or how she died, but how she lived. This program is presented to millions of students with the intent of changing hearts and minds as we create a culture of kindness.  We will reward acts of kindness by writing the act on a strip of paper (links) and making them into chains.  Our goal for the year is to have enough acts of kindness this year that our chain will stretch around the playground.  You can join us in the cause by creating your own chains with family and work colleagues.  We would love for you to be able to add to our chains.  We will keep you updated throughout the year.  Thanks you for your support.   
 

 

Caring:
Caring means kind, compassionate, and showing that you care. A person who cares expresses gratitude, forgives others, and helps those in need.

Kindness, compassion, understanding, sharing, helping - these are all aspects of caring.  Perhaps of all the character traits, caring is the one that comes most naturally to young children. The warmth of receiving and giving care is a feeling we all naturally seek, and children readily feel empathy for others.  The opposing forces - cruelty, greed, and insensitivity - are learned. Being able to give to another, whether it is a parent, a friend, or a bug on the sidewalk, allows even the youngest child to feel powerful, needed, and appreciated.

 
Suggested Literature Includes:
-Now One Foot, Now the Other by Tomie de Paola
-Special People (Who Cares) by Rachel Letch
-The Children's Book of Virtues edited by William J. Bennett
-The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
-The Rainbow Fish by Mark Pfister
-The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde  
 
 Tips for Effective Discipline:
The following Tips for Effective Discipline are really good reminders for us to use with all children everyday.
  • RULES and CONSEQUENCES should be WELL-DEFINED.
  • Be CONSISTENT.
  • Look for POSITIVE ways to handle misbehavior.
  • Don't DEMEAN the child.
  • Five parts POSITIVE to one part negative.
  • DON'T USE THREATS unless you plan to follow through with them.
  • LECTURES rarely CHANGE BEHAVIOR.
  • PUNISHMENT ALONE is NOT enough.
  • CALMER is better.
  • Be PATIENT-certain behaviors may change slowly.
  • LIMIT your BATTLEFIELDS (don't try to change everything.
      • -Source Unknown