Character Education

At MCDS, we work to create a climate that inspires and promotes moral development. This work is a community effort that includes home, school and the broader community. It is work that is never completed but is part of the ongoing process of growth and development. We are a community that seeks to nurture the development of personal and social integrity. How we conduct ourselves as human beings in relation to one another is at the core of what we do.

The overarching principles that guide our work are the core values of our mission statement:respect, responsibility and compassion. Yet, there are many more virtues which we work to promote and these guiding virtues help us define what a person of strong character is. These guiding virtues include integrity, humility, openness, passion, courage, honesty, resourcefulness, trustworthiness, perseverance, empathy, patience, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, and creativity.

In addition we seek to help children develop a sense of and commitment to equity and justice, a deep appreciation for nature and the environment, and a desire to work toward a more sustainable world. As children progress through the program, we hope they will acquire the skills, confidence and desire to “envision and work towards a better world”, as the words of our mission state.

We work to nurture these virtues in children through the content of our curriculum, our pedagogy, the formal and informal development of intra/inter personal skills and the many daily opportunities to practice putting good character into action in the classroom, on the playground and playing fields and in the broader community.

Sometimes, it is the "teachable moment" that gives us the opportunity to help children discern right from wrong and help them understand the choices they can make. Yet, we cannot always depend on the spur of the moment to address some of the major issues of character and integrity. So, we use specific curriculum to teach children about stereotyping, points of view, equity and justice, healthy body image and so much more. We continuously challenge our own and our students' thinking and invite reflection and action through the service that we do.

A strong moral compass will be essential to navigating the changing world of the 21st century. The development of good character paired with strong leadership skills will help our students, as global citizens, to make a positive difference in a complicated world.