We believe that a student's long-term health and well-being, and his capacity to contribute in a positive way to our world depends on a balance of social, emotional and core academic development. To support and build upon this foundation, the Kentfield School District adopted the program Character Counts! in 2001 to provide the school community a common language and focus . This program is based on six values called the Six Pillars of Character. They include: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship.

We believe that students must learn to reach beyond themselves. They must learn how to interact with others, how to listen, how to be sensitive to others' needs and how to be respectful of differing perspectives. Bacich School recognizes the importance of creating and modeling a culture of good character and supporting all students as they learn integrity, personal responsibility and compassion. Adults and children in our school community are asked to model these character traits through personal example.

The staff supports character education throughout the school day whether it is a classroom conversation during Morning Meeting, a private discussion with an individual at recess, an all-school assembly focused on a particular Pillar, or our school and district wide service learning projects. Character education is infused throughout our days.

Extraordinary individuals will shape the 21st Century. Meeting the challenges of our increasingly complex and culturally interdependent world will require citizens who have a solid sense of who they are and a respect for others, in addition to being academically strong and capable.

Our hope is that each of our students builds a healthy self-concept, a sense of connection to others, and an appreciation for what it means to be a kind and good contributing member of a community. We recognize that this developmental journey spans a lifetime, but the foundation begins right here during the earliest school years.

 

Character Education begins with all of us . . . . . .

 

Be Trustworthy Be honest Be open and direct with your communication (i.e., when hearing gossip, go to the source)	Be Respectful Treat others with respect Honor confidentiality	Be Responsible Take responsibility for your actions and mistakes Be responsible for your fair share in volunteer activities
Be Fair Demonstrate tolerance and acceptance Assume goodwill	Be Caring Be kind and compassionate to others Show appreciation to teachers, volunteers, peers	Be a Good Citizen Protect and nurture our environment Honor school rules such as carline etiquette and being punctual

 

 

 

At Kent Middle School, students learn to be good citizens by respecting everyone on campus, and giving back to the community. They have the courage to take positive social and academic risks. Kent provides opportunities to grow through academics, athletics, and social/club activities. We are a family. Our campus is the heart of the Kentfield community. Students, teachers and parents feel proud to be part of Kent Middle School.

Here are examples of what we strive for
Students who:
    include others in the classroom and at recess.
    are confident to stand up for what they know is right.
    have the courage to hang out with someone new.

Parents who:
    trust the expertise of faculty as professional educators.
    hold their children accountable for their actions.
    act as good role models.

Teachers who:
    communicate and collaborate with parents.
    follow a school-wide protocol for student behavior/consequences.
    are dynamic and engaged with students both in and out of the classroom.

Principal and Assistant Principal who:
    are trusted by the community and empowered to lead.


Purpose of this policy
In any school community, there will be occasions when students do not get along. Sometimes students attempt to hurt, exclude or take power from another student. Sometimes these behaviors are motivated by anger, jealousy, possessiveness, insecurity, or lack of skill in dealing with conflict. This policy is designed to guide our community in how to respond to violence, conflict and bullying, so that we move past these behaviors and create the culture that we strive to have at our school.

Be the Change Committee
The Kent Be the Change (BTC) Committee is a standing committee to ensure the implementation of this policy, to oversee the social and emotional development of our students and to help our school live by the values of respect and giving back to others.
    The Committee appoints one person to be the team leader.
    The Committee shall include parents, teachers, administrators, counselors, and classified staff.
    The Committee leader shall convene meetings regularly throughout the school year.


Kent Middle School: Essential Student Social and Emotional Skills
What follows is a list of the key social and emotional skills that Kent students need to learn if they are to develop the social and emotional intelligence to be able to live up to this vision.
We ask that parents, teachers and staff unite in helping our students develop the RED skills.

R esponsibility: take responsibility for yourself (Emotional Intelligence)
o Emotional responsibility: understanding and managing your emotions and stress.
o Impulse control and delaying gratification.
o Knowing what you need and how to ask for help and support from others.
o Accepting responsibility for your actions and your mistakes.

E mpathy: show awareness and care for others (Social Intelligence)
o Understanding the perspective of others and the probable source of their feelings and needs.
o Showing active compassion for others.
o Being inclusive of others in the classroom and at recess.
o Engaging in acts of care for others and the community (service learning).

D ifferences: valuing differences in others and daring to be different (Moral intelligence)
o Daring to be different.
o Valuing and appreciating differences in others.
o Having the courage to develop friendships with students that you don’t know.
o Having the confidence to stand up for what you know is right.