It’s not a color. It’s an attitude!
“School culture is the set of norms, values and beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, symbols and stories that make up the ‘persona’ of the school,” says Dr. Kent D. Peterson, a professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We at City Springs work very hard to build a positive school culture, and we have linked these efforts with our school color, purple, through this slogan: “It’s not a color. It’s an attitude!” Although we have always talked to students about “The City Springs’ Attitude” and “The City Springs’ Way”, it was not until 2015 that we actually identified the attributes that make up the City Springs attitude. Through a collaborative staff effort, we came up with the eight attributes of the City Springs’ Attitude.
We believe that students can best learn these attribute by practicing behaviors that exemplify them. Below is a chart outlining the behaviors that we want to see in our students. The desired behaviors are presented as “I” statements to help students truly understand our expectations and to make it easy for adults to hold students accountable:
The 8 Attributes
| ATTRIBUTES | STUDENT BEHAVIORS |
|---|---|
| Respectful | I look people in their eyes when talking. I do not interrupt or talk while others are talking. I have manners. I always say, “please” and “thank you”. I am fair, and I treat others how I want to be treated. |
| Disciplined | I say, “no” to things I know I should not do. I do not do things that will stand in the way of reaching my goals. |
| Resilient | I always rise to a challenge. I always think for ways to resolve conflict. I NEVER give up. |
| Focused | I set goals. I do not do things that stand in the way of reaching my goals. I am an important member of my school family. I stay focused on my class vision and my school’s vision. I am a productive member of my school community. |
| Cooperative | I value other’s ideas. I get along with others, even people who are different than me. I am a team player. |
| Empathy | I will see things from another person’s viewpoint. I try to put myself in others' shoes. I try to understand how another person feels. |
| Integrity | I do the right thing for the right reasons, even when no one is looking. I do not wait to be told to do something I know I should do. I do not blame others for my behavior. I can be trusted. |
| Pride | I love my home family, my school family, and myself. I love my school. I will take care of myself by eating right, getting enough sleep, and exercising. I will take care of my school. I will take care of my community. |