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We Cultivate Character

Independent schools foster ethical decision making and civic-mindedness.

  • We Cultivate Character

    Kid Social Entrepreneurs Work Together For Others

    We introduced the concept of teaching first and fifth graders about social entrepreneurship over seven years ago and never looked back. This spring, our first grade entrepreneurs worked collaboratively with 5th graders for another successful year of the Nifty Note Company. This interdisciplinary project-based learning unit reached across subjects, including media, design, branding, and economics. […]

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  • We Cultivate Character

    Small and Mighty Voices

    The Kent School community recently saw the power of a child’s voice in action when Second Grader Lana recognized gender and racial disparity in a video presented by her Lower School Spanish teacher, Elizabeth Greenwell. Greenwell shared an animated video with her students to learn a song in Spanish. After watching the video, Lana noted […]

    1 Recommendation
  • We Cultivate Character

    PE Challenges Kids: Are You MVPs or MVTs?

    Corbett Prep’s Physical Education unit “Teambuilders and Cooperative Activities” guides first and second graders through an investigation of what makes a great teammate. Students face challenges as a class to work together to achieve different goals. Students have opportunities to take leadership roles, strategize, and reflect on what worked and what changes they could make […]

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  • We Cultivate Character

    One Team philosophy at ʻIolani School

    Every school has a culture that is unique and special. At ʻIolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii, the One Team ethos is what defines an ʻIolani education. Filmmaker/Alumnus Johnathan Walk ʻ05 and editor of the schoolʻs award-winning magazine, Cathy Lee Chong, worked on this video to share what One Team is all about. The video was […]

    3 Recommendations
  • We Cultivate Character

    Character Through Service: Branch of the Pine at ULS helps critters in Australia

    At University Lake School we focus on the following character traits, affectionately referred to as “Branches of the Pine.” Intellectual Curiosity Personal Integrity Original Thinking Character through Service. Some of our Lower School students worked during recess to sew joey pouches. The pouches will be sent to Australia to help animals dislodged due to the […]

    5 Recommendations
  • We Cultivate Character

    Kent School's Grateful Story – A Video

    Each year at Kent School, our Head of School, Nancy Mugele, chooses a word of the year that guides us in thoughts, actions and writing. This year, the word that guides is GRATEFUL. At the start of the school year, everyone at Kent School received a Gratitude Journal. We encourage students and employees to take […]

    2 Recommendations 1 Comment
  • We Cultivate Character

    The Ethics Project at Rye Country Day School

    Just after the conclusion of the 2018-19 school year, 14 Upper School students gathered for the fourth annual RCDS Ethics Project, a retreat developed by an interdisciplinary faculty collaboration aimed at expanding students’ knowledge and analytical skills around matters pertaining to ethical awareness and active, purpose-driven engagement. This year’s retreat examined ethics and the law, […]

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  • We Cultivate Character

    Arts at 'Iolani School

    The performing and visual arts programs at ‘Iolani School in Honolulu, Hawaii provide students with the experiences, resources, and opportunities to express themselves, discover their passions, and to explore the world and all of its possibilities.

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  • We Cultivate Character

    Planting Seeds of Empathy (aka 5th Graders With Babies!)

    Recently, many of the Seven Hills faculty and staff read the book UnSelfie: Why Empathic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World by Michele Borba. Dr. Borba argues that empathy-building is not only a moral imperative, but a key advantage in kids attaining health, happiness, and future career success. UnSelfie unpacks several empathy studies, including the […]

    1 Recommendation
  • We Cultivate Character

    Servant Leadership Focus of 2018 Bolles Upper School Club Day

    Upper School Club Day launched a year of servant leadership in the Bolles community. Student organizers from most of Bolles’ 60+ upper school campus clubs manned booths in Davis Gym to field interest from students during Activities period September 18. A wide range of special interests, cultures, causes and associations were represented during the event. […]

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  • We Cultivate Character

    A kindness challenge to teach our children how to practice empathy and self-care

    This 30-day kindness challenge took place during students’ advisories and they participated in one or two kindness activities every week. The kindness curriculum was created by the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley. Through this program, the school received access to outstanding kindness-building lesson plans following the successful completion of the challenge. There were numerous […]

    2 Recommendations
  • We Cultivate Character

    A Deeper Sense of Self

    Who am I? A group of Riverdale fifth graders thought about that question as they read and discussed “George,” Alex Gino’s novel for elementary school readers about a transgender girl. Working with the Lower School technology integrators, the students constructed “identity boxes,” demonstrating that what’s visible on the outside “doesn’t define who you are on […]

    18 Recommendations

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