rule left an imprint not easily forgotten.
Students learn to turn their failures into successes if their parents allow them to own up to their mistakes. It was Thursday of the first week of school, and I was asked by a teacher to speak with two students who broke our Honor Code. It wasn’t a serious infraction, but rather an opportunity to have a discussion about what respectful behavior “looks like” when friends disagree.
The process I used to discuss this with the students followed a conflict resolution format, and the students
proposed various
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behavior alternatives—appropriate
reactions that would have resulted in a positive outcome.
We took it a step further and established that they would consciously help each other practice these positive behaviors throughout the school year.
The next day, one of the student’s parents approached me with her child. The student apologized for breaking our school’s Honor Code and promised that he would work hard to earn my respect again. I also was handed a letter from the parents apologizing for their son’s mistake and the dishonor he brought to their family. The student’s mother told me that our school’s Honor Code was utilized as a guide in their family’s code of ethics, and kindness to others was an
expectation, not an option.
This family’s consistent, high standards of conduct made an indelible impression on me. I experienced a family’s support of The North Broward Preparatory School’s Honor Code to an unanticipated level. Additionally, I have been fortunate to observe this student develop impressive standards of conduct that have, in fact, helped shape the behavior of his peers.
This student learned at a young age an invaluable
lesson about disgrace, accountability and personal honor. This family clearly communicated its value system. The
family did not entertain adopting an excuse or denial
strategy, but rather chose the high road—the road leading to the imprint of an internal value system. What imprints will shape your child’s future?
Dr. Jeanne M. Korn is assistant headmaster and principal of
The North Broward School at Coral Springs.
E-mail her at korn@theparklander.com
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