Lower School Division News: Dec. 19, 2024

December 19th 2024

By Dr. Debra Sass, Lower School Division Head

Dear parents and families,

Being a positive role model requires effort, forethought, and self-control for most parents and teachers. Because our children and students are watching us all the time, our actions, beliefs, and attitudes become integrated into their way of living. Therefore, we must be very intentional about the behaviors we model for children.

On the positive side, being aware of this huge responsibility can encourage us to better ourselves. For instance, if we do not want our children to break school rules, one of the most effective ways we can communicate that to them is to abide by school policies ourselves.

Unfortunately for parents, as well as teachers, the saying “Do as I say, not as I do” simply does not work. Children recognize hypocrisy at a very young age, and they gain the most from parents and teachers who demonstrate consistency between their actions and their values by “walking the talk.” Kids respect adults who live by the rules they preach. Hypocrisy disillusions children and sends them looking for alternative role models to follow.

When parents or teachers "model not following rules," it means they demonstrably break the rules they set for children, essentially showing inconsistent behavior by not adhering to the same standards they expect from children. This can ultimately undermine authority and negatively impact a child's learning and behavior development. Children need to know that the rules apply to everyone, including parents and teachers. If they see inconsistencies, they learn not to trust in our ability to enforce the rules. Moreover, when parents or teachers don’t follow through on the consequences for rule-breaking, it becomes harder to effectively discipline because the rules are not likely to be taken seriously. Equally important, we see growing confusion and conflict at school because students do not know what is expected of them. In the same way, when rules are not consistently applied, arguments and disagreements are inevitable. Above all, without clear boundaries and consistent enforcement, children are more likely to engage in disruptive behavior or test limits.

School policies can be inconvenient or seem irrelevant from time to time, but school policies are put in place for a reason. In short, they’re important because they provide a structured framework for how a school operates, ensuring safety, consistency, and fairness for all students, staff, and parents by defining expectations for behavior, academic standards, and disciplinary actions, ultimately contributing to a positive learning environment and promoting student success. Policies also help maintain accountability and address potential issues through clear guidelines and procedures. As an illustration, the Winston administration has asked drivers to turn right on Royal Lane when leaving The Winston School during our busy carpool pick up time. We do this for several reasons. While those reasons might not be readily apparent to all of us, at the end of the day, it’s about trusting school authorities to make the best decisions for everyone and then modeling compliance because it’s the right thing to do for all concerned.

Teach through the power of your example,

Dr. Debra Sass

QUICK UPDATES

STEVE & KATE'S CAMP IS BACK ON CAMPUS FOR THE HOLIDAY
This camp is open to students ages 4 - 12. At Steve & Kate’s, campers choose which activities they do, whom they do it with and for how long. For kids, this experience is pure joy. It’s also a kind of training ground for life, where they’ll need to be empowered and independent and resilient and responsible for their own decisions. Happy human-ing starts at Steve & Kate's Camp! They will be back on Winston's campus from M-F December 23 through January 3 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. each weekday. The camp will be closed on Dec. 24 - 25 and Jan. 1 for the Christmas and New Year's Holidays.
Learn more and register your student here!