Character For A Global Community

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Aug. 14, 2013 - PRLog -- How does a global community develop character? What should global citizens value? Where does technology fit in? As part of teacher in-service days at the start of the school year, faculty and staff at St. Andrew's have been engaged in hands-on presentations, interactive demonstrations, and personal experience discussions of character.

"When we adopted the 21st century skills as core tenets of the St. Andrew's experience, there was intention in the element of character," said head of school Mark Toth. Character is connected intrinsically to global citizenship through awareness, empathy, and action. St. Andrew's has intentionally adopted core values acting as a common thread through the educational journey from three year old to graduate.

"The CAS requirement is a fundamental part of the IB diploma program," said head of upper school Sara Rubinstein. CAS refers to the Creativity, Action and Service component of the International Baccalaureate program. Rubinstein emphasized how IB takes seriously the importance of life outside the world of scholarship, providing a refreshing counterbalance to academic studies. St. Andrew's is actively innovating towards local, domestic, and international programs to demonstrate compassionate global citizenship and emphasize the campus "culture of character."

"Beginnings matter," said lower school head Dr. Kelley Waldron, "and character is evident and emphasized from Day 1 as together students and teachers develop classrooms of caring, fairness, trust, responsibility, and respect." As an IB graduate, Waldron was instrumental in launching the program at St. Andrew's and continues the initiative through support of lower school educators in nurturing and cultivating the next generation of global citizens. Character is core to positive classroom management in lower school.

Sessions this week have focused on understanding the connection between a culture of character, or lack thereof, and the bullying crisis in American schools. "Sometimes described as the bullying cycle, those who experience a bullying event fall into several different roles," said counselor, psychologist and session leader, Dr. Michael Carpenter. Part of the Olweus method, Carpenter's hands-on, role-playing exercises focused upon empathy as a path to understanding. The participants of a bullying event range in description from victim and bully to followers, supporters, disengaged onlookers, possible defenders, and defenders. Bravery is defined by the defenders.

"We need and continue to be conscious of a world that is getting smaller by the day and is desperate for leaders of compassion and service," said interim head of middle school Jesse Lazzuri.  Lazzuri recognizes that the middle school years mark pivotal transition points between childhood and adolescence where understanding consequences as connected to decision-making drives back to lessons in character. Choices and actions impact others; no individual exists in isolation. Every member of the community contributes to the tapestry.

Each faculty member was challenged to place themselves in the roles described by the bully cycle. When given a final choice of where to stand based upon previous experience, a remarkable number stood up in the role of victim. "I was bullied for my entire eighth grade year," said one teacher. "Even as an adult, when I see her, it turns my stomach and the fear returns," said another teacher. "He made me feel like an outsider," said a third teacher.

Global citizenship ultimately aligns with the use of creativity, communication, collaboration, and critical thinking to build bridges across cultures, interconnecting people while respecting diversity. St. Andrew's commitment to character, the 5th C, is evidenced through a culture and behaviors that start... with the person right beside you.

Citizens of the classroom, campus, island, port city, and the world... St. Andrew's in Savannah, Georgia.  St. Andrew’s is a college prep International Baccalaureate World School.  For more information visit http://www.saintschool.com