TCS Counselor Natalie Grubbs with her youngest daughter (and TCS pre-kindergartner!) Lena.
BCC Lessons started in classrooms a couple weeks ago, but what exactly is BCC? BCC means “Building Character and Community,” and it’s TCS’s character education program.
It’s really so much more than that, though! BCC is at the heart of everything we do at TCS. It’s woven into math and science discussions; it’s reinforced on the playground; and it’s supported by teachers. It’s a part of our DNA, and TCS kids are known to leave here with strong socio-emotional skills that make them peacemakers and change makers wherever they go.
TCS makes BCC a priority because research shows that schools with effective, intentional character education programs have fewer discipline issues, better academic performance, improved attitudes and behaviors, and reduced emotional distress. And, we all know that happy kids learn more!
This year, BCC will look a little different. Instead of a monthly theme over the course of two years, we’re going to tackle seven “big ideas” that are familiar topics to us: respect, responsibility, cooperation, assertiveness, empathy, self-control and honesty. The new format is designed to go along with our four BCC Buckets, or core values: caring for ourselves, caring for others, caring for the environment and caring for our space. These big idea discussions will serve as springboards to discuss additional character traits along with digital citizenship, anti-bias, advocacy and etiquette.
In September and October, we’ll look at the big idea of respect and how it relates to sub-themes like peace, friendship, safety and equality. Kids will learn the difference between respecting themselves, others, the environment and our space when we look at how respect applies in different situations, like taking care of your school supplies or using the Peace Table to work through conflicts. In doing this, we’ll help build community!
My goal is for the conversations I have with the classes to tie in with conversations teachers are having as a part of daily life in the classroom and the conversations about values you’re having at home.
I look forward to learning and growing together this year!
