Word of the Month – May – Integrity

Dear Parents & Guardians,

In May we will be working on the character lesson: INTEGRITY.

Teaching children how to act with integrity is vital for their development. Integrity means to adhere to moral and ethical principles, and if taught correctly, children will take these lessons with them as they grow up.

You can help support the lessons by reinforcing this behaviour at home.

Here is a guideline regarding children and integrity based on age:

• With children ages 3 and 4: they are learning right from wrong. Teach them about the importance of telling the truth.

• With children ages 5 and 6: they are beginning to understand other people’s feelings. Teach them how to treat others the way you want to be treated.

• With children ages 7 to 9: they are becoming responsible. Teach them how to take pride in their responsibilities, particularly with promises they make.

• With children ages 10 to 14: they want to be independent. Teach them how to apply ethics when making independent choices.

Integrity is by far one of the very best character traits one can have. People with integrity make better choices and are more responsible.

Having integrity can take a long time to learn, but the more a child practices this, the more likely he or she will develop this crucial value.

The homework for our junior students this month will to tell the truth, even if it means that you will get in trouble! It is better to tell the truth now then to lie and get caught out later.

Thank you for allowing us to be a positive influence on your children and we look forward to watching our youthful students demonstrate their integrity skills in class.