Activities

Being responsible means that others can depend on you. You are willing to be accountable for your actions. When things go wrong and you make a mistake, you make amends instead of excuses. When you are responsible, you keep your agreements. You give your best to any job.

Why and How to practice responsibility? When you take responsibility for your own actions, others can trust you. When people are not responsible, they break promises; fail to do what they said and they let people down. When you make a mistake, you don’t get defensive. You learn from it and you fix it. You are ready and willing to clear up misunderstandings.

Signs of Success…Congratulations! You are practicing Responsibility when you…

• Take your promises seriously.

• Admit mistakes without making excuses.

• Give your best to whatever you do.

• Are willing to do your part.

• Are willing to make amends, to make things right.

“We have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime.” ~Elisabeth Kubler Ross~

“Life doesn’t require that we be the best ~ only that we try our best.” H. Jackson Brown Jr.

The Platinum Rule

"Treat others as they wish to be treated"

Empathy is the ability to share someone else’s feelings. A prerequisite to empathy is simply paying attention to the person.

In order to show empathy...

• We must learn to view the world as others see it.

With the Platinum Rule...When empathy is practiced you put yourself in the other person’s shoes.

• I try to understand my neighbor's perspective as best I can.

• I ASK and do NOT ASSUME

Signs of Success…Congratulations! You are practicing Acceptance when you are…

Seeing with the EYES of ANOTHER,

Hearing with the EARS of ANOTHER, and

Feeling with the HEART of ANOTHER

 

Gratitude is being grateful for what you have. It is an attitude of thankfulness for learning, loving and being. It is appreciating the little things, which happen around you and in you every day. It is being aware of the gifts in your life.

Why and How to practice gratitude? Being thankful is appreciating the things you have and the people you care about. Show you’re appreciation when someone does something kind for you. Focus on the good things about your life and count your blessings often. Even when things go wrong, you can be thankful if you find the lessons to be learned. Let others give to you. Expect the best in every situation.

Ask yourself…What are you grateful for today?

Signs of Success…Congratulations! You are practicing Gratitude when you…

• Appreciate your own talents instead of wishing you were like someone else.

• See the difficulties and disappointments of life as opportunities to learn and grow.

• Count your blessings often.

“Every morning when we wake up, we have 24 brand new hours to live. What a precious gift!”

“We receive more than we can ever give.” -Sir Thomas Moore

 

Compassion is having kind feelings toward someone who is hurt or troubled. It is caring deeply and wanting to help, even if you don't know them. It is being kind and forgiving to someone who has hurt you.

Why and How to practice compassion? When people feel hurt or in trouble, they often feel alone. Feeling alone can make things even worse. Without compassion the world is a hard and lonely place. Being compassionate helps us to feel less alone. Compassion helps us to understanding of others and ourselves. Compassion begins by noticing when someone seems sad or troubled. Put yourself in their place and ask how you would feel if it were happening to you. Think about how you can help. Take time to listen and say kind things like "What are you sad about?" and "How can I help?" Be forgiving when others make mistakes. Be a friend when someone needs a friend.

Signs of Success…Congratulations! You are practicing Compassion when you…

• Notice when someone is hurt or needs a friend

• Imagine how they must be feeling

• Take time to show that you care

• Ask how they are and listen patiently

• Forgive others when they make mistakes

• Do some service to help a person or an animal in need.

 

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.”

~Mother Teresa~

“...No man can live for himself alone"

~Ross Parmenter~

“It’s not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.”

~Mother Teresa~

Walk a mile in my shoes

 

“Every morning when we wake up, we have 24 brand new hours to live. What a precious gift!”

“We receive more than we can ever give.” -Sir Thomas Moore

Acceptance means to accept difference. You don't expect others to think, look, speak or act just like you. Tolerance is being free of prejudice, knowing that all people have feelings, needs, hopes and dreams. To be tolerant also means to accept things you wish were different with flexibility and patience.

Why and How to practice acceptance? Practicing acceptance is showing respect and appreciation for differences. You don’t judge or tease someone who is different. You show forgiveness when someone makes a mistake. I accept things I cannot change with good grace. When you practice acceptance, you see the specialness, the uniqueness in each person, not as a reason to fight, tease, bully or be afraid of. You see it and value it as a GIFT.

Signs of Success…Congratulations! You are practicing acceptance when you…

• Accept differences

• Are free of prejudice

• Accept others the way they are

• Change yourself instead of trying to change others

• Make others feel included by reaching out to them

• Don’t complain when uncomfortable conditions can’t be helped.

 

“Give to every human being every right that you claim yourself.”

~Robert C. Ingersoll~

“Everybody smiles in the same language.” ~Anonymous~

 

Each of us is unique in our existence…celebrate the diversity that surrounds you.

Remember that WE are like a TEAM!

We are stronger together than alone. Together Everyone Accomplishes More

“United we stand, divided we fall.” ~Slogan of the American Revolution~

 

Honesty is being open, trustworthy, and truthful. Honesty is telling the truth. It is admitting mistakes even when you know someone might be angry or disappointed. Being honest means that you don’t pretend to be something that you are not.

Why and How to practice honesty? Honesty is important because it builds trust. When people lie, or cover up mistakes, others can’t trust them. You say what you mean and mean what you say. You only make promises you can keep. Admit your mistakes and fix them. Be honest with yourself and you will be honest with others.

Signs of Success…Congratulations! You are practicing Honesty when you…

• Tell the truth.

• Admit your mistakes.

• Make promises you can keep.

• Refuse to lie, cheat, or steal.

• Say what you mean and mean what you say.

 

Within your mind, the determination between right and wrong is distinct. The only way to be true to yourself is by being truthful to others on a daily basis.

Be honest. That way you don’t have to remember a story.

“Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.”

~Thomas Jefferson~

Respect is an attitude of caring about people and treating them with dignity. Respect is valuing others and ourselves. When we are respectful, we treat others’ as we want to be treated. Respect includes honoring the rules of our family or school, which make life more orderly and peaceful.

Why and How to practice respect? Without respect for rules, we would have confusion. Think about how you would like others to treat you and treat them with the same dignity. How would you like others to speak to you or treat your belongings? If you want to use someone else’s things, ask, and then take good care of them. Treat yourself as you feel others deserve to be treated. You deserve it too!!! Express even your strongest feelings in a peaceful way.

Signs of Success…Congratulations! You are practicing Respect when you…

• Treat others as you want to be treated.

• Speak courteously to everyone.

• Accept others for who they are.

• Take special care of other peoples belongings.

• Take care of our school by cleaning up after yourself and using equipment properly.

"Respect is too valuable to be given for free. It must be earned through positive words and deeds."

 

“There is a longing among all people to have a sense of purpose and worth. To satisfy that common longing in all of us we must respect each other.”

~Chief Dan George~

Integrity is standing up for what you believe is right, living by your highest values. It is being honest and sincere with others and yourself. You have integrity when your words and actions match. You don't fool yourself into doing what you know is wrong. You fill your life and your mind with things that help you to live a good, clean life.

Why and How to practice integrity? Without integrity, no one would be able to trust each other to do what they say they are going to do. Integrity helps us to listen to our conscience, to do the right thing, to tell the truth. When people act with integrity, they stand for something. Others believe them and rely on them. Integrity gives us self-respect and a peaceful heart. You practice integrity by thinking about the virtues that matter to you and doing your best to live by them. When you make mistake, you clean it up. You don't follow the crowd. You think for yourself. You don't say one thing and do another. You do the right thing even when no one is watching. Even when it is hard to do the right thing, you stand strong.

Signs of Success…Congratulations! You are practicing Integrity when you…

• Think about virtues you care about

• Stand strong for what you believe

• Willingly clean up mistakes

• Do the right thing even when it is hard

•Think for yourself and avoid temptation

•Are your own leader

“If we don't stand for something, we'll fall for anything.” ~Vic Kitchen~

“What you are speaks so loudly, I can't hear what you're saying."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Perseverance is being purposeful. It is sticking to something, staying committed, no matter how long it takes or what obstacles appear to stop you. A good example is the story of the tortoise and the hare. Even though the tortoise was slower than the hare, he won the race because he persevered-he didn't let anything stop him or distract him. He kept on going.

Why and How to practice perseverance? Without perseverance, people give up on things easily. They don't keep their promises. When we persevere, people can depend on us to finish what we start and to keep our commitments. When we persevere, we stay friends even when the friendship is tested. We don't give up until a problem is solved. You practice perseverance by committing to someone or something. Choose your commitments wisely and then stick with them. When you commit to a task, pace yourself, and be persistent, doing it step-by-step. Stand by your friends even when they aren't much fun, or having a hard time.

Signs of Success…Congratulations! You are practicing Perseverance when you…

• Think before deciding to commit to someone or something.

• Pace yourself

• Set goals and stick with them until they are completed.

• Take one step at a time, remaining steady.

• Don't let doubts or tests blow you off course

• Stand by your friends and loved ones.

 

“Success comes in cans. Failure comes in cant's.” ~Fred Seely~

“Never give up.”

~ Otto Frank (Anne Frank's Father)~

"A winner never quits and a quitter never wins.” ~unknown~

Take everything as it comes; the wave passes, deal with the next one."

~ Tom Thomson~

"Never let me be burdened with sorrow by starting over."

Native American tradition