Santa Rita has made a commitment to help students develop life skills by focusing on one character trait each month, as inspired by the book and website Character Counts. This character trait is incorporated not only into serious discussions in the classroom, but also into many other student activities.  We would like to share the highlighted trait each month with you and offer ideas on how to bring these important life skills into your daily conversations and activities at home.

Happy New Year! It is a great time to focus on those lifelong skills that will carry kids beyond their academic training. Consider taking a little time each week this month to talk about or do an activity related to “Caring” with your children

Be Kind Be compassionate and show you care      Express gratitude Forgive others Help people in need

Suggestions for parents:

Motivate and challenge your children to be fair with each other. Tell them that you have a challenge for them and it contains four words that rhyme: “I dare you to share and to care and be fair.” Suggest that this challenge is harder (and wiser) than any of the “dares” their friends might give them. Talk about what each word means.

Create an “Acts of Kindness” Tree. Whenever you see your child showing kind and caring behavior toward others, write your child’s name and action on a green paper “leaf” which is displayed on the tree.

Create Random Notes of Kindness. Have your child(ren) write notes to other family members or friends that describes something nice about the other person.

Create Caring Coupons. Have your child(ren) think of caring acts which they commit to in a form of a coupon for a parent or teacher.

Consider becoming a “Character Coach” to help plan and organize Character Counts! activities and develop this worthwhile life skills program at Santa Rita.  Contact Debbie Munro at debbie^atwhitespaceink.com 941-9541 or Shauna Nash sjhnash^atcomcast.net 948-8845.

This is only one of the six pillars of character.
View our other character pages.
Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility,  Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.