December 4, 2009

Dear Middle School Parents,

At this week's Middle School meeting, we talked about character and respect. I imagine your child may even have mentioned this at home.  We discussed different definitions of the word character, and I shared with the students a definition I particularly like, "What we do when no one is looking."  While it is easy to do the right thing when we know we are being watched, the true test is what we do when we know no one is looking.

In preparation for this meeting, I worked with a small group of seventh and eighth grade students to prepare role-plays for the meeting to illustrate the difference between inclusive and exclusive behaviors as well as honest and dishonest behaviors.  While these skits were entertaining, they were rather pointed, and their familiarity brought home how hurtful comments, actions, and even body language can be.  I challenged our students to become allies and not stand by if they witness mean-spirited behavior in the classroom, hallways or on the playing field.

This meeting was not a reaction to any event or trend. Instead, I took the opportunity to share with our students my belief in the importance of how we treat one another. We are lucky to be in an environment in which we have a common value system – one in which treating one another with respect and care is important.  The more we can have open discussions on these topics, the more supportive and inclusive a community we can become.

Thank you for your support.

Best regards,


Carol Maoz