ayview Secondary School
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Character Matters!

2002-2003 will be Bayview Secondary School's second year of CHARACTER MATTERS! STUDENT COMMITTEE, which is open to all students and staff. We will be working hand in hand with the school's Character Education Teacher Committee, chaired by Mr. Falkenberg, and other organizations and clubs toward the main goal of promoting Character Education. The ten main CHARACTERistics are:

The character Education Committee has worked hard to bring you enjoyable activities for all to participate in, such as:

Throughout the rest of this school year, the Character Education committee will be informing students of up and coming events. This is an excellent opportunity to take part in the community by helping out at school events and Character Education activities. All are welcome to join. Please pay attention to announcements regarding upcoming Character Education events for further details. Thank you very much for your time and attention.

Serena Tsang, Amisha Patel, Jessica Li, and Goldie Ghamari
Prefect Organization's Secretaries and Assistant Heads responsible for Character Education Implementation

MEMO TO ALL STAFF AND STUDENTS…

CHARACTERS OF THE MONTH

The Characters of the Month initiative honours citizens of Bayview who show good character. These citizens may have done good deeds, may have been a great role model of character or may have done something significant to show good character. Each month:

- will be selected each month. Nominations can be made from the 1st to the 20th of every month.

Here are some rules:


CHARACTER NOMINATION FORMS CAN BE PICKED UP IN THE MAIN OFFICE

COMPLETED NOMINATION FORMS DUE BACK IN THE CHARACTER EDUCATION MAILBOX BY THE 20th OF EACH MONTH

Click here for more Character Education information

Characters Of the Month Nomination form



Dalton McGuinty at Bayview - May 23, 2002.

Newsletter - Jume 2003

"If the world seems cold to you, kindle fires to warm it." Lucy Larcom

June Again! Days get longer and expectations for the freedom from responsibilities begin to grow. And we've earned it! The accomplishments in the past year have been truly impressive across the board. We have a character education policy that has been affectionately called a 'constitution'. Character Matters! is now a monthly part of DC (Director's Council) meetings. It really is about all of us. Character Matters! and Character Communities united to present a workshop for parents in developing character in families. We've done presentations for all administrative groups, managers and caretaking staff. We've also done displays at School Forums, and worked directly with schools starting up new character education programmes. In April, OISE's Leithwood, Fullan and Watson's report, "The Schools We Need" recommends: "Ensure the Ontario school system, while building strong foundational skills in literacy and numeracy, also addresses goals related to citizenship and ethical behaviour”. In the spring, Volume 33 of Orbit, edited by Avis Glaze, Bill Hogarth and Brian McLean, was circulated. It featured York Region's Character Matters! programme along with others from the United States and the United Kingdom. Character Matters! and Choices into Action united to create a joint document for the implementation of CIA using character education as a platform. We have created new secondary and elementary agenda inserts for the fall! You might want to consider keeping a file of each year's Character Matters! pages for decorating the classroom in years to come! Character Matters! and Safe and Supportive Schools joined to create the opportunity for all schools in the region to train a student team of peer mediators in each school. Look for details early in September.

Eleven elementary and secondary schools piloted the 20 Day Journey into Character Development, a unique professional development opportunity that takes about 10 minutes a day! Become a Traveller; look for the revised Journey in your school this fall.

Turning Points Essay Contest Winners

Congratulations to: Evan Simpson of Crossland P.S., Michelle Tong of Castlemore P.S., and Kim Seto of Sir William Mulock S.S. winners of the Turning Points Essay writing contest. Thank you for sharing your stories of courage and challenges with us. Special appreciation also goes to the many staff who offered this opportunity to their students.

On March 25, secondary school Character Matters! teams met for the day to learn and plan. A keynote by Marc Kielberger set the tone of optimism and emphasized the need to help others. A special edition newsletter was produced to commemorate a great day! Visit our website to access it! www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/character.matters

Three Project Teams sessions were held during the course of this year to develop expertise around the region, in both panels. Those joining the teams are asked make an 18 month commitment to the development of character across the board. If you’d like to be a part of this, please email, jkielven@yrdsb.edu.on.ca

Congratulations to Susan Smitko of Dr. G. Williams S. S. as the new Executive Director of Character Community for York Region. Together We’re Better Conference: In January, grade 7 and 8 students met to learn more about anti-racism and ethnocultural equity. Character Matters! team members presented workshops designed to raise awareness of the strong link between the character attributes, prevention and conflict resolution in this area. The Banner is here! It’s the system wide “visibility” banner for both elementary and secondary schools. It will hang in every school across the board in English and/or French. Check it out in September.

The Assessment Project Team has created a Visibility Checklist for the system and includes great strategies and ideas for raising awareness about character education, embedding it into the school and celebrating it. Look for it in the weeks and months ahead. (And yes, our banner is the first check box!)

Translations: Don’t forget that we now have the attributes and their definitions in Cantonese, Farsi, Russian and French. These can be downloaded free from our website (see above).

Character Matters! is offering 3 sessions at the Summer Institute, August 26th & 27th at Newmarket High School: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), Character Matters! Choices into Action and Character Matters! Resources for Character Education (K – 8). See you there! Over 40 elementary and secondary schools / teachers / organizations displayed their ideas, programmes and activities at the first annual Character Matters! Storefront. It was an opportunity to see and collect ideas from some of the very best that is happening in our region. As one person put it, “It rocks!” The Towers Project challenged schools to demonstrate their concept and understanding of Character Matters! and the attributes in a creative and cooperative way. The resultant towers from across the board went on display in the community, at the June 3rd Storefront, and at the June Board meeting! York Region’s R.I.S.E. Equity Conference featured Stephen Lewis as the keynote presenter. This year’s focus was on making the connections between literacy and equity. The need for character is never stronger than in the meeting of these goals in education. Many schools have been participating in the Petra Peace Project where dance, theatre and character development entwined to produce authentic experiences for its participants. Look for this innovative programme again next year or contact Mary Lawlis for more details at York Region’s own CAYRE launched its extensive and intensive new anti-bullying Integrated Resource Units. These are available by grade, K – 8. Tribes training is once again available this summer. Check out the board’s Instructional Intelligence website for details. Stop by Alexander Mackenzie H.S. Walk the halls noting the Character Matters! Street signs.

Note: If you want an activity in your school featured here, please drop me an email of about 2 – 3 sentences for inclusion. There is so much going on in the region that is more than worth mentioning; let us know about these! jkielven@yrdsb.edu.on.ca Frightening Facts from Lawrence Township School Council research (2000): § By the time the average child graduates from high school, he / she will have witnessed over 200,000 acts of violence on television alone, not including the movies, music or video games. § Children now spend more time learning about life through television than any other manner, including school. § Television characters are murdered at 1000 times the rate of American citizens. Balancing this influence has never been more important. And when it is balanced we get stories like this from an administrator: “With the change over to the STAR system, one morning a grade six class ended up without a supply teacher. As it would happen, due to the STAR system being inaccessible in the office, we were unaware we had a grade without a teacher. Fifteen minutes into period one after the opening exercises, a grade six student came to the office to report there was no teacher. When I went to investigate all was quiet in the hall. Upon entering the classroom, students were busy writing and barely looked up to acknowledge I had entered the room. What I discovered was a student read the teacher’s Day Plan, wrote the instructions on the board for the class to follow and all were doing it.”

STUDENT PERSPECTIVE FEATURE Peer Mediation at Thornlea Secondary School

By: Sarah Johnston and Nena Rae Watson – Student Coordinators, Thornlea Peer Mediation

The peer mediation programme at Thornlea Secondary School began in 1999. It consists of mature and responsible students nominated by their teachers and peers. These students, ranging from grades nine through twelve complete an intensive week long training session. The students, soon to be peer mediators, are provided with the tools and knowledge necessary to effectively facilitate negotiation and compromise in order to successfully resolve disputes between peers. These sessions include hands – on experience through the use of role play, and also demonstrate how valuable alternative dispute resolution skills are in the ‘real world.’ Thornlea decided to become involved with this programme to offer students a route to resolve conflicts as an alternative to suspension, expulsion and even police action. It also allows the disputing parties to really talk out their differences. Throughout our year as Student Coordinators of the Peer Mediation programme, we have noticed the benefits of the programme. Disputing parties feel more comfortable talking about their issues and the roots of their conflict with their peers than with administration or police. Frequently, it may take a simple apology from one party to another to resolve a dispute. However, peer mediators are there only to listen to each party’s side of the story and to encourage the parties to come to a mutual resolution. Peer mediators do not provide advice or suggestions on how they believe the parties should come to a resolution; we remain completely neutral at all times. The mediation process is recorded on paper, a resolution agreement is drafted, which both parties sign. The agreement is then followed up by the peer mediators, and if they feel that the agreement is not being abided by, the administration is notified and they decide where to take the particular case from there. People often ask if the Peer Mediation programme actually works. Judging from our experience, it definitely does. From our perspective, as grade 12 students, we realize how much more likely students are to be honest and cooperative with their peers, than with administration or police who may be threatening serious consequences. We believe that the Peer Mediation Programme at Thornlea has benefited our school’s security and general environment a great deal and encourage other High School’s to become involved with this programme.

(Thank you for the submission!)

FEATURE: “HANA’S SUITCASE”
Ventura Park’s Holocaust Resource Project.

Grade 8 students at Ventura Park Public School developed an innovative exhibition on the effects of war, and in particular, the Holocaust. The exhibit travels in four old suitcases which represent those used by the Jewish people during WW II on their forced relocations to ghettos, concentration camps, death camps and escape / immigration. Each suitcase reflects a different perspective. The first contains bundles of articles that such a traveler might have saved for him/herself or for a child in his/her care. The second suitcase contains information and interpretation panels about the Holocaust. The third suitcase is empty. At each place where the exhibit stops, students and visitors are asked to add their own responses to the exhibition. In the fourth suitcase is a video of the process, including a CD recording of the original song written for exhibition, CBC Broadcast recording of the documentary by Karen Levine as well as administrative details. It’s a creative effort as well as being tied to curriculum expectations. It involves literacy, music, visual arts, drama, character education, Choices into Action, Teaching for Social Justice, History / Geography and Technology Integration. This exhibition has touched the learning community and wider community both in terms of the presentations and contributions and involvement. And it’s not over. Next year, it will continue once more in it’s mission to: “show the potential of a student-generated project that has served and will continue to function as a learning tool that goes well beyond the boundaries of a classroom’ and ‘as a vehicle to tap into each individual student’s strengths. As a result, they have become better, more tolerant, aware and empathetic citizens.”

If you are interested in having an exhibition at your school or learning more, please contact: yana.ioffe@yrdsb.edu.on.ca

Some Parenting Tips for Promoting Character
1. Set a good example, be a good role model. Start with the way we treat others or the Golden Rule (Seldom if ever do kids improve without a model) If you can’t disclose your flaws and failures it’s unlikely others will be able to admit their weaknesses.
2. Brainstorm ideas of ways we can assist our neighbors.
3. Develop critical thinking skills that foster a deeper understanding of the issues they face.
4. Let them know life is more about character than their comfort, that character can be developed through adversity and testing!
5. Promote compassion. What does your heart say. Lead with empathy! Help your children see the major decisions of life require consulting the heart.
Adapted from: www.ethicsusa.com/parentspage1.cfm?page=parenttips

Q & A

Q: How can I teach the higher level parts of character education when some of the students in my classes don't even have the basic manners in place?

A: Great question. It's difficult. Manners, good listening, learning to wait, concentration etc. are all 'precursor' skills to effective character development. They are a foundation upon which to build. They are worth teaching overtly at any grade level to enable character development. Nevertheless, the promotion of understanding in ethical fields can happen simultaneously. It's like building a house. Students need to see the larger plan (character development) to help make sense of how to lay the bricks (manners and other skills). It may take a little longer to put into action, but the benefits are worth it. Children need both the practical and conceptual to guide them as they recreate and reinvent themselves. A footnote: if we try to 'fix' children's manners, they are likely to resent us. We are more likely to be successful if we approach manners as we do anything else that needs to be taught - new material without the burden of judgements attached to them.

Dichotomous Decisions/Challenges

§ Your boss demands to know what a co-worker you're not fond of is saying about her/him. It's not flattering. Do you discretely let him / her know?

§ You invent a new kit that will help students with hands on learning. You can make three times as much money and offer it to schools a little cheaper if you use cheap third world labour where workers are paid a survival wage. Do you?

Decision Making Guide (from a conference on business ethics):
1. The "60 minutes" rule. If Mike Wallace showed up with a film crew, I could comfortably go on camera to explain and defend my actions.
2. The "no one will know" rule. If I do this because no one will know about it, I'm probably making the wrong decision -- and I'm definitely making it for the wrong reason.
3. The "abdominal dissonance" rule. If my stomach doesn't feel right, I'd better not do it. (also known as the "ulcer" rule and/or the "insomnia" rule.)
4. The "only-this-once" rule. If I plan to do something "only this once," I'd better not.
5. The "alter ego" rule. When in doubt, I need to discuss this dilemma with someone whose doubts, questions, standards, and perspectives will help me to clarify my own.
6. The "authoritarian" rule. If orders from my superiors contradict my legal, professional, or personal ethical standards, I'd better not follow them.
7. The "trust me" rule. I must deal straight with people, even if I can't promise them all they would like to hear.
8. The "long run" rule. By making ethical choices based on thinking long-term, I best serve myself and my institution. Short-run gains at the expense of ethics result in loss of trust from others.
9. The "self-esteem" rule. Unethical actions erode self-confidence. I am most productive and successful personally and professionally if I trust and believe in myself.
10. The "golden rule." I should, after all is said and done, do unto others as I would have them do unto me.

Adapted from:

http://www.lightandlife.com/02/E2_Ethical-10.htm

Preserving our Cultural Heritage

As important as it is for individuals to act with character, it is equally important for countries to do so as well. Canada is known for its sense of justice, its courage, optimism, caring and more. "Our hopes are high. Our faith in the people is great. Our courage is strong. And our dreams for this beautiful country will never die. "P. E. Trudeau "We have long been known as one of the most tolerant, progressive, innovative, caring and peaceful societies in existence." George Radwanski & Julia Luttrel "I am deeply moved by the warmth and courage of the Canadian people which I felt so strongly during my visit to your country." Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
"I am a Canadian,
free to speak without fear,
free to worship in my own way,
free to stand for what I think right,
free to oppose what I believe wrong,
free to choose those who shall govern my country.
J. Diefenbaker

"I am so excited about Canadians ruling the world."
J. Diefenbaker
Character Matters!

The camera moves in on an object - a round table Close -up : there are words carved into the stone Pan shot over the words so they can be read:
1. Never to put off your armour, except for the purpose of rest at night.
2. Defend the poor and weak.
3. Give help to any who should ask it in a just quarrel.
4. Do not offend one another.
5. Work for honour rather than profit.
6. Never break a promise for any reason whatever.

"Sooner choose to die honestly than to flee shamefully." Code of Chivalry: Honour, Self-Discipline, Courtesy, Courage, Selfless Sense of Duty and Service,
Slow dissolve to the shot of King Arthur riding into the sunset. Character education has been around for a long time!

And, finally…. June brings a restlessness to put the school year to rest, to enjoy our summers as only Canadians who have tasted too much salt with their snow can. It is a time for family, the smell of sizzling steaks, flowers, and the sounds of children once more outdoors. We hope your summer is a great one, full of all those things you have yearned for during this busy school year. May it be a safe and sunny one.