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We Cultivate Character

Independent schools foster ethical decision making and civic-mindedness.

  • We Cultivate Character
    Video

    “Our Spirit”

    “Give to us a noble SPIRIT that we, with our teachers, may go forward to achieve the highest goals in life.” This exerpt from the UMS-Wright motto resonates throughout the entire school. During the Spring of 2016, we released a series of four videos (Our School, Our Mind, Our Body and Our Spirit) that give […]

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  • We Cultivate Character

    Trinity Hall Fosters Innovative, Empathetic Engineers

    Trinity Hall students practice human-centered design-thinking to develop prototypes where empathy is the central attribute. The final experiences of the junior engineering classes included product designs that embraced empathy as the singular most important attribute for designing the details of their product, and were inspired by social issues and personal experiences. The students were asked […]

    3 Recommendations 1 Comment
  • We Cultivate Character
    Video

    Empathy Meets Design-Thinking In The Maker Space

    Riverdale Country School fifth graders became product designers this spring, making cardboard reading easels to meet the needs of their first-grade clients. The project was inspired by the Adaptive Design Association, a non-profit organization that builds custom furniture, equipment, toys, and other items for infants and children with special needs. Many of the items are […]

    2 Recommendations
  • We Cultivate Character
    Video

    On Aerial Silks, Grit Becomes Grace

    It looks like magic, but it feels like inner strength. Two student performers at Riverdale Country School explain how they developed athleticism, mental discipline, and emotional self-awareness through their work on “Pippin.” The mysterious performance troupe at the center of the show dazzles its audience with dancing, singing, and soaring acrobatics. Part of the magic […]

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  • We Cultivate Character
    Video

    Arts and Honor: A Conversation with Ellen Nelson

    At The Hill School, our faculty support students in the classroom, on the playing fields, in the dorms, on the stage, and in the community. We created a series of videos that profile our dedicated faculty members who embrace what it means to live and learn at The Family Boarding School. In this video, Mrs. […]

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  • We Cultivate Character
    Video

    Character Through Comedy

    Comedy is harder than it looks. This fall, the Riverdale Middle School created “School Night Live,” an original sketch comedy production featuring sharks, elves, tap dancers, pop singers, a Donald Trump impersonator and hundreds of one liners. The work took creativity – and commitment. “The nature of sketch comedy demands bold choices,” says Laura Desmond, […]

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  • We Cultivate Character
    Video

    Students share a message of gratitude with families . . . and beyond

    At The Seven Hills School in Walnut Creek, California, gratitude is one of the shared values of the school community. Opportunities abound for students to express their gratitude for all of the positives in their lives – family and friends, home and school, adventure and quiet time. They also learn to celebrate the challenges that […]

    11 Recommendations 2 Comments
  • We Cultivate Character
    Video

    What Can Hip Hop Teach Us About Life?

    St. Luke’s educator, Jim Foley, shares his love of hip hop music and masterfully weaves in lessons about anger, oppression, expression, and the mind-blowing power of words and imagery.

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  • We Cultivate Character

    The Ethics Institute at Kent Place School Partners with Local Public Schools in Honor of Respect Week

    Throughout October, The Ethics Institute at Kent Place School (EIKPS) presented a series of assemblies titled, “Ethics 101 – Jr.” at the Lincoln-Hubbard Elementary School and Franklin Elementary School in honor of NJ Respect Week. The goal of the assemblies was to promote the value of respect and kindness through the use of video prompts, […]

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  • We Cultivate Character

    Raising Servant Leaders

    Last week, Shiloh visited Trinity’s 3rd graders to tell his story. Shiloh is a teacher, and Shiloh has a love for children. Shiloh is also a homeless man who spends his days at the Urban Ministry Center and his nights sleeping on the streets of Charlotte. His story is not unique and is one we […]

    1 Recommendation
  • We Cultivate Character

    Student Researchers Head to the Top of the World for Arctic Expedition

    In July, with temperatures rising in California, 12 students from The Harker School traveled to the Arctic for a special two-week research expedition focused on environmental issues including the impact of global warming. They visited Frogner Park and the Fram Museum, where Norway’s first ship built for polar research is kept. “We ran around the […]

    1 Recommendation
  • We Cultivate Character

    Anti-Bias Curriculum Encourages Reflection, Deepens Understanding for Preschool – Eighth Graders

    At Lesley Ellis School, anti-bias themes are woven into the curriculum across content areas and grade levels. Teachers are trained to encourage, rather than minimize, discussions of difference, even among their youngest students. The program flourishes because it’s rooted in a solid social and emotional curriculum. In pre-Kindergarten, four-year-olds can work through conflicts at “The […]

    4 Recommendations

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