Tag Archives: Core Values

10.07.16
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Guest Blog: Alicia Danyali on Mindset

Alicia DanyaliContinuing to bring you thoughtful commentary from a variety of sources, Immersed presents the second annual guest blog post from The New Century School‘s Head of School Alicia Danyali.

This summer, I came across a book that spoke to me personally and professionally.  In fact, I loved the messages it shared on every page so much, I found myself carrying the book around in my purse and sharing the title and its contents with anyone who would listen.  Although the subject matter was not a new idea to me nor was the information presented unfamiliar in any way, in reflection, the message was a reminder of how I want to live my life to its full potential and share these sentiments with everyone I come in contact with, and hope they “jump on my bandwagon.”

The book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (How We Can Learn To Fulfill Our Potential), by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. is not a new concept or theme among humans, but instead, a much needed reminder as we all tend to get “caught up” in the hectic, overstimulating world in which we live to take the necessary time to think through how our words shape potential and the messages we send, starting with ourselves.

As TNCS Head of School, and someone who has dedicated the majority of my working years to education, this paragraph from Mindset spoke to me more than any other:

As parents, teachers, and coaches, we are entrusted with people’s lives. They are our responsibility and our legacy. We now know that the growth mindset had a key role to play in helping us fulfill our mission and in helping them fulfill their potential.

Believing strongly in these ideas, I am continually finding ways to integrate them into the curriculum. Thus, during our next Professional Growth and Development Day on October 21st, the elementary and middle school teachers will have the wonderful opportunity to participate in a Mindset Workshop directed by Dr. Carisa Perry-Parrish.  The growth mindset directly relates to TNCS’s Core Values and our mission of embracing and celebrating a healthy belief in self in the classroom and life.

I encourage the TNCS community to view Dr. Dweck’s TED Talk and peruse the Mindset Works website to gain a deeper perspective on this topic. Visit Cultivating a Growth Mindset at TNCS for an earlier Immersed post on Growth Mindset and Dr. Dweck.

 

09.09.16
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TNCS Exemplifies Four Core Values

As The New Century School grows up alongside its maturing student body, the school has rooted its identity in a set of shared values. These values complement TNCS’s academic subjects in ways that will deepen the overall educational experience of each student. TNCS strives to graduate not just informed individuals ready for the next rung on the school ladder, but also contributing members to local and global societies.

TNCS Core Values

Thus, for the 2016–2017 school year, and coinciding with TNCS’s first Middle School class, Head of School Alicia Danyali and administration and Co-Founders/Executive Directors Roberta Faux and Jennifer Lawner formalized the school’s Core Values of compassion, courage, respect, and service.

As Mrs. Danyali describes them, the Core Values should become the pillars of a TNCS education. They will support TNCS’s mission to “prepare our students in and out of the classroom to thrive in a complex, changing world . . . [by] challenging each student to strive for academic excellence [and become] informed, independent, and creative thinkers; cultivating an authentic and resilient sense of self grounded in respect and integrity; creating a diverse and inclusive community built on a spirit of compassion; and inspiring our students to lead and serve with passion, purpose, and joy.”

The following is excerpted from the Family Handbook for Elementary and Middle School 2016–2017.

To demonstrate compassion, we will strive to:

  • understand the circumstances and viewpoints of others;
  • develop the capacity to forgive others and ourselves;
  • celebrate the contributions of others;
  • promote a peaceful, caring, and safe community; and
  • think and act in a way that shows others their feelings and well-being are cared about.

To demonstrate courage, we will strive to:

  • take initiative and act as decision-makers and responsibility-takers;
  • progress academically and socially by taking risks, by accepting challenges, and learning from our mistakes;
  • confront fear, pain, uncertainty, and intimidation;
  • be honest with ourselves and others; and
  • become thoughtful and decent citizens of the world.

To demonstrate respect, we will strive to:

  • believe in the inherent dignity of all people;
  • celebrate individuality;
  • value diversity within our community and our curriculum;
  • think and act in a positive way about self, others, property, and the school through words and actions;
  • demonstrate concern for the well-being of all people;
  • seek to build the self-esteem of all people; and
  • aspire to promote understanding among all people.

To demonstrate service, we will strive to:

  • find positive ways to contribute to the broader community;
  • share time and talents with others;
  • take an active role in service opportunities in the school and community;
  • celebrate involvement in service; and
  • be mindful of others’ needs.

To ensure that the four Core Values are constantly front of mind for the TNCS community, a poster was commissioned to illustrate ways the core values can be implemented each day. This poster will be displayed throughout the TNCS campus, but Immersed is fortunate to offer this sneak peek.

Core Value Poster_with logo.jpg

This lovely artwork was done by TNCS’s graphic artist Yiyun Chu who was asked to illustrate the concepts in a way that students ages 8 to 10 years could firmly grasp. Ms. Chu describes her process this way:

tncs-core-values

Artist Yiyun Chu

I used characters that I believed that age group would connect to. I added some animal characters because in the animal world some of these core values exist. I do think the core values are a universal thing, not just only in our human world. As you can see from the poster, there are two kids wearing soccer uniforms shaking hands. This represents Respect. Furthermore, you see there are two teenagers giving each other a high five and a father protecting his child when his child is learning to ride a bike. These represent Courage. The young female teenager helping an old man walk, the older kid holding a big leaf for the younger kid to cover him from the rain, and the bear helping another bear walking all represent Compassion and Service.  This is because I believe you need compassion in order to serve others.

TNCS is deeply committed to its Core Values, which invest the teaching and learning that takes place here with richness and meaning. Students, staff, and families alike strengthen our community by putting compassion, courage, respect, and service into practice each day.