Ah, sweet vacation time 

Enjoy the wonders of summer with your friends and family.  ♣  Take a car drive into the hills or down to the beach. 

Most point to pressure to succeed or achieve as the number one cause for this pervasive unethical behavior.  There is the pressure to get into a top college, the pressure to get good grades, the pressure to meet business objectives and deadlines, and the pressure to be Number One.  This kind of thinking shifts the blame from the individual to the system or to the society.  All of us need to take responsibility.  Michael Josephson, the founder of the Josephson Institute for Ethics and of our Character Counts program, conducted a survey several years ago that said students are just imitating adults.  He says, “ They’re basically decent kids whose values are being totally corrupted by a world which is sanctioning stuff that even they know is wrong.  But they can’t understand why everybody allows it.”  He goes on to say, “We must believe in and expect integrity and moral courage and not surrender when our principles are challenged.  We need to expect good people to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult or costly.”  How much better it would be to get children to understand why integrity is important than to spend hours policing the lack of it!

As adults, we must realize that kids are looking to us and society in general for a moral compass says Donald McCabe, a professor who heads the center for academic integrity at Rutgers University.  They do not understand why they should be held to a different or higher standard than adults.

As parents, we must understand that our children look to us as models.  All that we do is scrutinized.  Also, we need to take more than a passing interest in all that they do. We need to talk with them constantly about their work and their play.

As teachers, we must work to actively engage each student in the learning process, to make the learning process so exciting and challenging that the thought of cheating never occurs to them.  We must give them the tools to guide and direct their own learning and to understand assessments are merely the means to an end not the end itself.

Students need to learn how to handle life’s pressures without compromising their core values and their sense of right.  Pressures are a part of living but should not be used as an excuse for dishonesty. They need to be proud to be a person of honor.

       Lying is addictive and really has a profound effect on trusting relationships. Many people believe a little white lie now and then can’t hurt anyone.  If you miss a deadline, just claim you left the missing assignment at home where you were working on it.  What harm can such a white lie cause?  If you don’t want to attend a friend’s party, just say you are busy.  If you want the day off, just say you are sick.  If you are looking for recognition at work or school, you claim the credit for someone else’s work. 

          The more you tell, the easier it becomes.  Many times you are not “caught” when you lie in this manner.  However, eventually such behavior does catch up with you, and sooner or later, you slip up.  When this occurs, you damage a relationship or several relationships in much the same way other addictive behaviors do.   People are hurt, disappointed, or betrayed by the lies and eventually cease to trust or respect you.  The antidote to this poisonous behavior is to offer no excuses or simply tell the truth. 

Remember, character does count!

This year Fairmont is amping up our character education program.  We believe that everything you say and do (or neglect to say or do) sends the world a message about your values.  All of us need to be sure that the messages we send reflect good character and the kinds of behavior we hope to see in our young people.  It is up to us to not only teach our young people right from wrong but also model ethical behavior ourselves.  Character education does not work if it is just taught in the home, nor does it work if it is solely left up to the school.  Together we must strive to instill in our children moral values so that they may become, as our mission states “exemplary citizens in a global society.

Core ethical values are universal and objective.  They provide timeless standards of good character.  Almost every major religion and culture has a version of the Golden Rule which it espouses–“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” or plainly stated, “Treat others the way you want to be treated.”  Somehow in our 21^st century world where cheating is commonplace and moral relativism reigns, we have lost sight of the basic concepts of right and wrong.  There is a big difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.  The real test of our character is whether we are willing to do the right thing even if it is not in our own self-interest or to do the right thing even when no one is looking.

We encourage you to come along with us and your children on this character-building journey this year.  Take advantage of the opportunities for great family discussions and a bit of self-examination.  Together we can certainly make a difference – a difference that could help change our world one child at a time.

The Care and Feeding of the Brain

Believe it or not, what you eat affects how you think- and how well you remember.  The brain is fueled by a steady supply of glucose and substances containing neurotransmitters.  It works more efficiently when a combination of fiber-rich carbohydrates and proteins jump start its day.  One study revealed that children who breakfasted on sugary cereals or snacks and artificially sweetened drinks performed much like an average 70 year-old on tests of memory and attention.  They did better on cognitive tests with a breakfast of toast, but as the tests increased in difficulty, they were able to handle the challenge much better when a protein source was added to the toast.  Other studies have found a correlation between a high-fiber diet and improved cognitive abilities, so make that toast whole grain or make the protein one that is also high in fiber (such as beans).  Other foods that top the list of brain foods include:  broccoli, blueberries (or any bright-colored fruit), dark chocolate, nuts, olive oil, pumpkin (especially the seeds), salmon, spinach, tomatoes (especially tomato sauce), yogurt, and whole grains- all definitely food for thought!