Character
Development
INTRODUCTION
Queen of Angels Montessori School has a Character Development
Program (CDP), which has been underway since the school was
founded. The CDP has grown since its inception and is now guided
by the Character Development Committee (CDC). The CDC is chaired
by the school Principal, and has members drawn from volunteers
from the parents of children at the school, and is one of several
committees that report to the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
Board. The support of Parents, Teachers and others involved
in the CDP is much appreciated by the CDC and suggestions for
improving the CDP or this plan should be directed to the CDC,
via the Principal.
Fruits on the Vine: Building Character in Children
St. Ignatius of Loyola once said, “Give me the first seven
years, and I’ll give you the man.” St. Ignatius
wisely recognized the indelible imprint that the years of childhood
make on a person. A childhood marked by values and virtues will
help to form a virtuous adult.
In
order to better assist Queen of Angels parents in their mission
and duty to imbue their children’s formative years with
faith and character, our school has initiated a Character Development
Program. A collaborative effort of parents and staff, this program
begins with the premise that the primary agents in children’s
moral formation are the parents; while the school has an important
role in supporting the parents’ efforts. The energy and
enthusiasm that many parents poured into the development of
our Character Development Program (CDP) is just one more testimony
to the deep commitment of the parents in our school community
to their vocation as parents.
Building
on a Strong Base
When we began our work developing a Character Development Program,
we realized that a number of elements for building character
were already embedded in our school program and culture. The
task of the Character Development Committee (CDC), then, was
to more clearly define and develop these elements.
The
CDC focused on two broad areas: supporting parents, and providing
children with opporutunities to develop virtues in their everyday
life.
Supporting
Parents
Probably the greatest support that our CDP offers to parents
is the knowledge that the school environment that they entrust
their children to each day emphasizes the values and virtues
that they seek to instill in their children at home. As a concrete
support for parents, the CDC developed a parent library and
published “Parenting Tips” articles in the weekly
school newsetter. The group has also generated ideas for future
activities such as parent forums, groups, and speakers.
Encouraging
Children
The heart of the CDP was a variety of activities that involved
the children in recognizing and developing virtues. We practiced
virtues within our home and school communities; we reached out
to our neighbors in the parish and the local neighborhood; and
we extended our efforts even further to people in other parts
of the world. Some examples of the children’s work
-
Manners
skits created and performed by thechldren
-
Creating an “acts of kindness” wall
-
Baking bread as an expression of gratitude towards parishioners
-
Reaching out to neighborhood residents by Christmas caroling,
and by planting and distributing Easter flowers
-
Celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus with an Advent collection
of baby items for a local pregnancy center
-
A year-long collection, including prayers and correspondence,
for two children sponsored by the Christian Foundation for
Children and Aging: Mario (from Mexico) and Preeti (from India)
-
A visit from the Little Sisters of the Poor, followed by a
pen-pal program between children and residents at the LSOP
home
-
A Lenten collection for the Heifer Project, in which children
worked at home to “earn” their contributions to
help purchase domestic animals for Third World villages
Marked
by Prayer and Prepared by Life in the Atrium
The whole moral life and life of virtue are embedded in our
relationship with God. They manifest as the fruits we bear on
the True Vine, fruits which “have sprung from the abundance
of sap, the vital force within the plant, which is the life
of the Risen Christ” (cited from Sofia Cavalletti’s
“The Source of the Moral Life”, reprinted below).
Thus, all of our efforts in character development truly stem
from our life of prayer, sacraments, and life in the atrium.
In
the home and in the atrium we prepare fertile ground for the
children’s moral life. In her article, “The Source
of the Moral Life,” Sofia Cavalletti describes the preparation
that our catechesis provides for moral formation, a preparation
that starts in the early years of childhood well before any
explicit moral encouragement is given. For even (and especially)
in our work with the youngest children, we sow the hidden seeds
that ultimately bear out St. Ignatius’ wisdom: “Give
me the first seven yeas, and I’ll give you the man.”
A
Sampling of the Fruits: A Handshake from Daniel
Grace and courtesy are inherent to the Montessori method. Beginning
with the first day of school for the three year old, and changing
with the growing child, grace and courtesy lessons emphasize
many aspects of social behavior. Last year, our elementary students
wrote and performed Manners Skits that portrayed specific examples
of grace and courtesy: how to assist someone who spilled something;
how to enter a room where others are meeting; how to defer to
an adult when approaching a door; etc. One skit was about greeting
people.
Tracy
Jones sent in the following note of encouragement about how
her son Daniel, a six year old who also has Down syndrome, is
making courteous behavior part of his life.
I
wanted to share with you a success story about how your manners
program is working.
Last
evening I was at a scout meeting with my oldest son. At the
conclusion of the meeting Daniel went up to the Scout Leader
shook his hand and said "Good bye Mr. Harris." The
Scout Leader was so impressed he asked Daniel where he learned
such nice manners and Daniel replied “SCHOOL.”
I
think the Character Development Program is wonderful addition
to the school.
