Dear Parents,

We began our Character Counts theme in September and have worked on themes each month. This month we bring our theme to a close in advance of the start-up of our May Summer Reading Project. As we think about this month’s theme of responsibility, we are challenged to make our words visible in our own actions.

April is an important month. Beside the beginning of spring, New Vistas is an especially busy place this time of year. We keep our students working hard and preparations are underway for STEP Testing. Our goal is to continue to make each day as productive as possible. As the quote reminds us, “It is possible to grow a little bit larger each day.”

Responsibility: Key Ideas

Self-control: Set goals for yourself that are realistic. Have a positive attitude. Act out of reason, not anger, revenge or fear. Have self-discipline when it comes to your health, emotions, time and money. Be self-reliant.

Excellence: Pursuing excellence means doing your best. It means persevering (not giving up). Be prepared. Work hard.

Duty: Do your duty. Know what is expected of you. This means understanding and meeting your obligations.

Accountability: This means that you accept responsibility for the consequences of your choices. (As Dr. Phil says, ‘When you choose the behavior, you choose the consequences.’)  It is taking responsibility not only for the things that you do, but taking responsibility for what you do not do. Before you act, you think about what will happen to yourself or others. You do what you can to make things better.

Our last home assignment for Character Counts will be sent home with your child. Thank you to everyone who has helped reinforce the New Vistas’ character development program this year. Our goal is to educate bright, positive, successful children, capable of leading remarkable lives. It is a privilege to work with you all.

Linda McFadyen