Values Based Behavioral Program

Rules are meant to serve our needs, Values rule us.

Rules are meant to serve our needs and are changed when they do not. Values are meant to rule us, even when no one is watching. However, as values are central to our lives they should not change even when others are watching. This is a core belief in the Educational Project of the Company of Mary, the school’s mission and philosophy and can be seen as a moral imperative in our world today. 

Values need to be seen as verbs and not as nouns. They are to be at the heart of all we do and say. When the values of the school are understood, we help students evolve rather than simply comply with rules. In a rules centric discipline system when a rule is broken the unintended consequence is that it sets a foundation of, “What can I get away with?”. Integrating values into the lives of our learners helps them comply with the rules of the school, but more importantly, instills a life-long foundation of service to others through humility, empathy and care.

The school’s behavioral system encourages learners to be self-regulated individuals through effective feedback, goal setting and reflection upon actions. It is intended to foster a growth mindset in our learners and develop reasonable expectations in early childhood and adolescent development. When needed, the teacher and/or the school’s counselor helps students plan and set a course of action that they are accountable for, both to themselves and their learning environment. The behavioral system structure focuses on communication and collaboration with parents, as primary educators, to develop a consistent message for their child.

Children are a blessing. Through our overall discipline system, they know they are responsible for their own actions, loved and valued. We are committed to developing the Gospel values of love in each of our learners and do all we can to ensure that they understand the importance of values, as well as rules, to their lives as they grow through high school, college and career.