New Vision places a high value on Character Education. It teaches children the habits of thought and deed that help people live and work together as families, neighbors, communities and as a nation. Throughout history, character education has been the shared responsibility of parents, teachers and members of the community who come together to support positive character development. By modeling exemplary character traits and reinforcing positive citizen attributes, attitudes and actions are developed that are the hallmark of safe, healthy and informed communities that serve as the foundation of our society. New Vision participates in the nationally recognized Character Counts program which promotes the development of six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program (PBIS) and Second Step (both listed below) are additional programs that support the Character Counts program.
This program helps students learn social skills, problem solving, and conflict resolution. By giving students clear behavior expectations and appropriate and effective tools, they learn to treat each other with kindness and respect. The Character Counts program is an integral part of New Vision’s mission. It also promotes the development of exemplary citizens and a school that is safe, collaborative, positive and inclusive. Every day, New Vision students and staff recite the following Nighthawk pledge:
As a member of the Nighthawk family I will be:
Trustworthy
Respectful
Responsible
Fair
Caring and an outstanding
Citizen
We are TeRRiFiC!!
What is PBIS?
Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) is a school wide approach to preventing and responding to school and classroom behavior. PBIS is used at New Vision in the elementary and the middle school, as well as at more than 13,000 schools across the country.
How does it work?
In the program, positive behaviors are frequently rewarded preferably with non-food items by school staff, while negative behaviors are consistently addressed with logical consequences. PBIS aims to reduce the number of referrals or suspensions and enables educators to be more active and consistent in addressing behavior problems that do arise. Students are taught expectations of how to act responsibly and appropriately in places such as the hallways, restrooms, lunchroom, playground, and during assemblies. The outcome is positive behavior and a school environment that is conducive to learning.
he Second Step program is grounded in the integration of social learning, social information processing, and cognitive-behavior theory. Concepts and strategies from these frameworks constitute aggressive behavior and promote positive social behaviors: empathy, problem-solving skills, and anger management. Research on the Second Step program indicates that teaching these core competencies, combined with practicing specific skills, can prevent problematic behavior patterns.
Key areas which are emphasized in the K-8 program:
● Bullying prevention
● Empathy and communication
● Emotion management
● Problem-solving and decision-making
● Impulse control
● Goal setting
● Violence prevention
● Substance abuse prevention
How is Second Step implemented?
In Second Step lessons, students study and discuss core ethical values such as fairness, honesty, compassion, responsibility, respect, and self-discipline. The curriculum's foundation rests on three essential social competencies: empathy, impulse control and problem solving, and anger management. The lessons provide opportunities for students to develop core values through developmentally appropriate modeling, reinforcement, and practice.
The Second Step curriculum helps develop students' critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and corresponding social skills, thus addressing the "head, heart, and hand" of character development. Every Second Step lesson is built around a story depicting an everyday situation that students might encounter in their lives. Class discussion of stories is followed by teacher modeling of pro-social behavior and student skill practice. Students learn empathy skills, such as caring and helping behaviors; communication skills, such as active listening; social problem-solving skills; and skills for managing and communicating emotions.
The problem-solving model teaches students to evaluate solutions based on safety, fairness, others' feelings, and workability. All of these skills combined help students understand, value, and act on core ethical values.
All three programs help students develop skills, understand, value, and act on core ethical values.