TODAY AT BRECK
SPRING 2013
Breck’s C.A.R.E. curriculum is special, says Lower School Counselor Lisa Lokke, because it gives young children
National Recognition
“words to explain their own feelings and what they need
A few months ago, the Center for Spiritual and Ethical
from each other. And with a common language, children
Education (CSEE), an organization that commits to nur-
can share what they’ve learned in class, at home, and with
turing “ethically rigorous and spiritually grounded citi-
their friends.”
zens for tomorrow’s world,” published a book highlighting six schools’ character development programs. Breck
The program has five goals: • Promote the development of strong character in students. • Bring the community together around common character traits. • Develop consistency with respect to the teaching of 22
is one of the six—and the only one in the Midwest. (The other schools are Isidore Newman (Louisiana), Brentwood (California), Collegiate (Virginia), Peck (New Jersey), and Greensboro Day School (North Carolina).)
character education skills.
The book is titled Making
• Provide common language throughout the community.
Our Pact: Lower School
• Empower students
Lower School
Programs for Character
with tools to become
Development.
responsible citizens.
In his introduction,
teachers were
Each month, the Low-
CSEE’s Executive Direc-
looking for
er School community
tor, David Streight,
ways to address
invites students to
writes, “Though the pro-
participate in lessons
grams outlined in this
the social and
and/or activities that
booklet are diverse, they
promote the develop-
emotional part
share a deep commonal-
ment of important
ity that, we hope, others
of a Breck education.
character traits.
will work to emulate.
Respect, responsibil-
This commonality entails a set of community norms
ity and friendship are
that all ascribe to: norms informing a school culture
themes used every
that is perpetuated as much by student-to-student
year, along with
transfer as it is by adult-to-student teaching. A moral
other themes such as honesty, courage, perseverance, joyful-
school culture is not viable until it has buy-in and par-
ness and dependability.
ticipation from both adults and students. The results
The program came from the grassroots, Lokke explains, as
are worth the effort.”
Lower School teachers were looking for ways to address the
The section on C.A.R.E., written by Lower School Direc-
social and emotional part of a Breck education. After investi-
tor Peg Bailey and Lower School Counselor Lisa Lokke,
gating some “canned” programs, the division came together
describes the program’s genesis and implementation
to design a program that is distinctively Breck.
along with methods Breck uses to assess progress.
A key factor is that C.A.R.E. can be adapted to different grade
Continues Streight in his introduction, “Though we
levels, teacher strengths and student learning styles. “We
do not hold the schools here up as perfection, nor do
own it,” Lokke points out, “but we all own it in our own way.”
they, we do look at them as deserving notice, precisely
Third-grade teacher Lisa Hunninghake loves the fact that the themes are division-wide. “Specialists, classroom teachers, administration are all on board and integrate the theme into their conversations, teachings, feedback, discipline and everything else,” she observes. “And I have really seen students become more comfortable and capable in their discussions. Their experience in prior grades clearly starts the foundation of knowledge, and the program builds upon itself every year.”
because they have taken intentional steps: they have thought through and focused on goals that are supported and endorsed by the community; they have visions shared by all constituents (faculty, students, trustees, parents); they have managed to weave their visions deeply into the fabric of the school; and they are on-going, dynamic programs constantly open to fine-tuning.”