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Monday, November 2, 2015

NOVEMBER

N O V E M B E R


E V E N T S   &   D A T E S

Nov. 11   Remembrance Day - No School
Nov. 13 Term Ends
Nov. 19 Parent Teacher Interviews
Nov. 27 Report Cards
Nov. 23 - Dec. 3  Christmas Food drive

Spirit Days:

  • Nov 13 LGBT or Hat day  ~ Paravantes
  • Nov. 27 Jersey day  ~ Hafeli


Theme: INTEGRITY (LIVE matrix)


This month’s tasks and teaching:

1. Revamping the LIVE matrix

The PBIS committee is looking to improve our matrix to better reflect the behavior expectations and practices happening at Brock.  Five years have passed since Brock became a middle school.  Our school has changed and the LIVE matrix needs a facelift.  PBIS promotes the use of common language within a behavior matrix that is then directly taught.  This matrix is supposed to be compiled through consultation from students and staff.  From this activity, the matrix would better reflect student understanding of the behavior expected at Brock.


Please spend some time in TAG this month discussing LIVE expectations/school rules with your class.  Use the following Google Doc to record these suggestions. Please use the color you have been assigned for your suggestions when typing in the document.  You will find this on the second page of the Google Doc - Blank LIVE Matrix


F o r m s
L.I.V.E Matrix (what you see on the posters)
A class copy could be printed off so that each student has a copy to read.  Discussion in pairs, small groups, then move to bigger or whole class discussion.


Questions
  • What do you understand in this chart?
  • What vocabulary or words do you not understand?
  • What rules would you add to this?
  • What rules do you feel you follow in LIVE ?  What rules do you think do not work or are not followed?
  • Aesthetics of the matrix chart… how can this be made more visually appealing?  Color? font?


Blank LIVE Matrix (editable Google doc)
  1. Go through this as a class and add your thoughts and ideas to what it means for each of the letters in LIVE.  The more student driven our Matrix is the better.


After teaching INTEGRITY, please revisit the matrix before the end of month to add/edit the Google Doc for any new contributions that can reflect their understanding.




2.  Teach INTEGRITY


To start: DISCUSS with students what INTEGRITY is/means to them.  


You could:


Use a KWL chart to brainstorm ideas about INTEGRITY


What I Know
What I Want to learn
What I have learned





SHARE the Definition of Integrity according to Dictionary.com

integrity [in-teg-ri-tee] noun

  • adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.
  • firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values :  incorruptibility
  • an unimpaired condition :  soundness
  • the quality or state of being complete or undivided :  completeness


Antonyms
1. dishonesty.



RECORD their answers on chart paper or have a class scribe keep the ideas that are brainstormed for future reference.



ACTIVITIES
Test
Are You a Person of Integrity?
(Take this self-evaluation and decide for yourself.)
True
False
I always try to do what is right, even when it is costly or difficult

I am true to my very best self.
I live up to the highest ethical standards.
I don't compromise my values by giving into temptation.
I think I am / am not a person of integrity because: ___________________


1. Bring in some newspaper articles about people who you think have integrity and people who you think who do not. What distinguishes one from the other? Who gets more play in the media?
2. Divide the class into small groups. Have each group develop a list of do’s and don’ts for being a person of integrity. Have them make oral reports to the class addressing the following questions: What happens when people live in accordance with these guidelines? What happens when they don’t? In what ways does integrity and lack of integrity affect our community and society? In what ways can/do young people demonstrate integrity?
3. Many people complain that political leaders lack integrity. Develop a checklist for evaluating the integrity of political leaders. Use this checklist, rank political leaders you are familiar with. Does a high ranking affect how you feel about these leaders? Would it influence the way you would vote?
4. Role play some typical situations in which a group of people try to put pressure on one person to do something that is against his/her principles. Do this several times with different outcomes, such as caving into the group’s pressure, or mustering the courage to stand up for what you believe. After the improvisation, discuss what you learned from this. Did you discover anything about group dynamics that you can use if you are ever in a similar situation?


DISCUSSION QUESTIONS


1. How do you want to be remembered after you die?
2. Does thinking about how you want to be remembered tell you anything about how you should live your life?
3. Are you that kind of person?
4. In what way is your integrity your gift to yourself? In what way is it your gift to the world? Can you think of any examples?
5. Have you ever heard the phrase "Let your life speak"? What do you think that means?
6. Is being thought of as someone with integrity important to you? Why, or why not? How would you feel if someone accused you of not having integrity?
7. What does the word "integrity" mean to you?
8. What does the expression "walk your talk" mean? Do you know people who walk their talk? What do you think of them? Do you know people who don’t walk their talk? What do you think of them? How do you feel when you hear people say one thing and do another?
9. How do you feel when you see someone who’s not willing to stand up for his/her beliefs?
10. Have you ever taken a stand that was unpopular and had to pay the price for that?  What did you do? What was the outcome? How did you feel afterwards? What did you learn from the experience?
11. What does "compromising your principles" mean? Give an example. How far would you compromise your principles in order to get ahead?
12. In what ways do you benefit from making choices that are consistent with your highest values?
13. What do you think Gandhi meant when he said, "We must be the change we want to see?"
14. What does integrity have to do with your character?


VIDEOS
What is Integrity?   Time 3:45


MOVIE CLIPS
Integrity - from the movie Remember the Titans
Trust and Integrity - from movie Courage

OTHER LINKS TO SHARE (not Integrity related)


Bullied from Soul Pancake.  A short 7 minutes showing adults ‘speaking’ to their childhood bully.