Character Counts - Responsibility
Do what you are supposed to do
Always do your best
Be self-disciplined
Think before you act — consider the consequences
Persevere: keep on trying!
Use self-control
Be accountable for your choices
Suggestions for parents:
Talk with your children. Do you have any life experiences you can relate to your children that would illustrate the value of being responsible? Ask your children how being responsible has helped them. What does it means to be responsible? What happens if you are not responsible?
Discuss the lives of notable public figures that show responsible or irresponsible behavior.
Read one book related to the theme of responsibility. The Los Altos City Library and our own SR Librarian Mrs. Granoff have offered reading lists specific to “Responsibility”.
Encourage your child to write his/her short comments related to this trait and put it in the CHARACTER COUNTS! box located in the Santa Rita Office. Your child may write about someone (real or fictional) that he/she believes models this character trait, a responsible action observed by your child, a response to a classroom discussion, or any other ideas about “Responsibility”. Mr. Peck will regularly pick comments and share them with the students.
Share what your responsibilities are to your family, work, country and religion. Your kids may not even be aware of how this makes a difference in their daily lives.
Post the above definition of “Responsibility” in a visible location in your home.
Books to Read about Responsibility
Recommendations from Mrs. Granoff – Santa Rita Library
| Izzard | John Lonzo Anderson |
| On My Honor | Marion Bauer |
| Arthur’s Computer Disaster | Marc Tolon Brown |
| The Boy Who Lived with the Bears and Other Iroquois Stories | Joseph Bruchac |
| Close to Extinction | John A. Burton |
| The Chocolate War | Robert Cormier |
| King Midas and the Golden Touch | Charlotte Craft |
| Frank and Ernest | Alexandra Day |
| Flying Solo | Ralph J. Fletcher |
| Self-Control | Henrietta Gambill |
| The Child’s World of Self-Control | Henrietta Gambill |
| Pet Boy | Keith Graves |
| My Penguin Osbert | Elizabeth Cody Kimme |
| Sweet Notes, Sour Notes | Nancy Levinson |
| Fox and His Friends | Edward Marshall |
| Judy Moody Declares Independence | Megan McDonald |
| Perseverance:The Story of Thomas Alva Edison | Peter Murray |
| Josie’s Troubles | Phyllis R. Naylor |
| Keisha the Fairy Snow Queen | Teresa Reed |
| Risk n’ Roses | Jan Slepian |
| Learning by Heart | Ronder Thomas Young |
Recommendations from the Los Altos Library
| The Berenstain Bears’ New Pup | Stan Berenstain |
| All Keyed Up | Matt Christopher |
| Cool Cat, School Cat | Judy Cox |
| Responsibility | Linda C. Johnson |
| The Saturday Escape | Daniel J. Mahoney |
| Judy Moody Declares Independence | Megan McDonald |
| A Doll Named Dora Anne | Yona Zeldis McDonough |
| The Wisdom Bird | Sheldon Oberman |
| I Am In Charge Of Me | Dana Meachen Rau |
| I Am Responsible | Sarah L. Schuette |
| Sissy Buttons Takes Charge | Ian Whybrow |
This is only one of the six pillars of character. View our other character pages: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.