A Culture Built on Core Values

Has your school identified core values? We have at the American School of Dubai. Our five core values are compassion, excellence, integrity, respect, and responsibility. Most educators work at schools that have guiding principles of some sort, but how many of those schools truly live them? And how many school use core values as a foundation upon which to build a positive school culture?

In the past few months, I’ve learned that the ASD core values permeate the school culture. As educators we introduce and reinforce them with our students. We also expect that they’ll guide our interactions as members of the school community – students, parents, and friends. In other words, we bring our core values to life. Some of the ways we do this include…

• We highlight the core values on the walls of the elementary gym. The PE teachers reinforce them just as they do good sportsmanship. After all, aren’t the core values really the basis for good sportsmanship?
  

• Fifth grade teachers and students translated the core values into guidelines for behavior during recess.
  
• Students in art classes created a mixed media piece that hangs in the elementary hallway. The letters that make up the core values are created from printed copies of the school mission statement.
  
• The core values are displayed on classroom bulletin boards.
  
• Students took what could be considered abstract concepts and made them concrete by producing posters that explained the core values with developmentally-appropriate explanations and real life examples.
  
• One grade level in particular ensures that the core values remain front and center for their students through scheduled assemblies. At these gatherings teachers recognize three or four students from each class who have exemplified the core values through their words and actions. (By the end of the school year, every fourth grade student has received an award at least once.) I love attending these assemblies because the students truly get excited when a peer’s name is called. What a great way to build community!
  

We continue to look for ways to bring the core values to life because we believe that they set the tone for a positive school culture. We take it so seriously that we have a division-wide core values team made up of faculty members from each grade level team. (I am a member of the team as well!)

During our most recent monthly meeting, we took inspiration from Pinterest and decided that we would implement an initiative through kindness elves who live the core values. If you haven’t heard of kindness elves, I encourage you to check them out on Pinterest! In the days leading up to winter break, we will email teachers each day with a photo that they will share with their classes. In the photo will be an elf holding a sign that encourages students to show one of the core values. For example, one day we will highlight respect by encouraging everyone to say please and thank you throughout the day. At the elementary assembly on the day before break, student council officers will bring the initiative to a close and congratulate the students for their efforts.

I’m extremely proud to be part of a school community that works so hard and with such intention on creating a positive school culture by encouraging us – and expecting us – to embrace common principles. We’re always looking for inspiration and ideas on how to make this happen, and I often wonder… what do other schools do to create positive school cultures? Do they have a set of identified core values? And if so, how do they bring them to life?