Usha Balamore, Assistant Head of Lower School and Director of Character Education, explains, “We started with a model developed at Cortland University by Thomas Lickona and Matt Davidson that was based on 30 years of research, which we are adapting for Shipley.” With research showing that the best character education programs are ones that use a school’s mission and motto as the core of the program, Balamore felt inspired to use Shipley’s Courage for the deed; Grace for the doing as this year’s character education theme. She was even more convinced when she “realized in talking to the older kids in Middle and Upper Schools, that the motto of our School, which is so beautiful, isn’t entrenched in them in any way.”

The efforts began on the first day of school, with classroom discussions about the meaning of courage. Each class also read the book Courage by Bernard Waber, which begins, “There are many kinds of courage. Awesome kinds. And everyday kinds. Still, courage is courage – whatever kind.” This is an important lesson that Balamore wants students to learn. “We thought we’d begin by eliciting from kids a definition of courage so we don’t impose on them what courage is. We need as broad a definition as possible so they can see all the subtler nuances of courage.”

With fifth graders’ definitions of courage displayed throughout the school, and a plan to hang up definitions from students in other grades, as well as those of teachers and famous people, Balamore says the Lower School “will be like a museum devoted to courage.” A walk into the Lower School lobby shows evidence of another courageous initiative, the Lower School’s 2008-2009 Olympic Challenge: 2008 Acts of Courage. Throughout the year, students will be asked to submit their personal acts of courage – from trying new food to standing up for something they believe in. These acts will then be posted on the bulletin board in the Lower School’s front lobby, with a celebration planned to take place once 2008 acts have been committed and collected.

Parents will also be brought in to the character education efforts. The concept was first introduced during Back to School nights, and will be more fully unraveled to them during the grade level Pop-in-Parent Mornings, which feature performances by students and a classroom activity for parents and their children.

Last year, Shipley’s Lower School Character Education program focused on students being their best selves and doing their best work. The theme was woven through the curriculum from Pre-K through Grade 5, with emphasis in weekly assemblies and special classroom projects. The concept was even used in students’ physical education courses—where skills and sportsmanship were emphasized.

Balamore is already seeing results from the Lower School’s focus on courage. “Before teachers had discussions with their students about courage, the younger students had no idea what it meant. A week later, the difference was amazing.”