Superintendent's Letter

Winter 2011

Dear Parent or Guardian:

During this snowy winter we have weathered so many storms that our students must think spring will never come. When it finally arrives, I know we will all be ready. But meanwhile, let’s talk about the subject of bullying, something that has been in the news lately. Our school has always attached importance to character education, which gets right to the heart of the issue. Character means doing what is right regardless of who is watching or how difficult it may be. The development of each student’s character begins at home when the child is very young. As parents, we have the responsibility to teach our children the difference between right and wrong through example as well as direct instruction. The school builds on and continues the work that takes place at home.

One of the challenges that may sometimes arise in the formation of a child’s character is the prevalent influence of factors beyond parental control.  Once chosen by the parent, our school is dedicated to furthering a vision of character built on the values spelled out in our handbook. Working together, the family and the school may exert a very beneficial influence. Take the virtue of generosity, which is listed along with other virtues in our parent/student handbook. During the recent December holiday season, many students and families responded generously to the needs of their fellow citizens through the donation of food and gifts. Such habits will take root in our students to the degree that we continue to practice them in small ways each day. At the school, one of many ways we encourage this practice is by publicly recognizing students who display virtuous behavior each week, fostering the growth of good habits for the benefit of everyone.

You might wonder what the virtue of generosity has to do with bullying. Virtuous behavior or good habits are contagious for both the individual and the group. The unity of each person is such that even one good moral habit well practiced provides fertile ground for others to take root. The more virtue is practiced, the more its beneficial influence spreads to other aspects of character. A generous person is more likely to develop other good qualities, such as kindness and courage, which of course have a direct bearing on the issue of “repeated acts or gestures that inflict physical or emotional harm,” to paraphrase the bullying law.  The school has structures in place to hold students accountable for bullying behavior and those are necessary, but everyone would agree that prevention in the form of virtue development is the best approach to having a long-term impact. Indeed, the whole premise of schools is that by forming young people in moral and intellectual virtue, we can give rise to a society where true citizenship is possible, a society that would affirm a community of common goods, or put another way, a Commonwealth.

Just as surely as winter leads to spring, your consistent example of good character will bear fruit in children who know and practice virtues that will benefit us all. And as your school of choice, Mystic Valley will continue to help you in that essential work.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. McCleary, Ph.D.
Superintendent/Director