This month our primary students are focusing on the character trait of citizenship. Good citizenship means many things: doing your share to make your school and community better, cooperating with your neighbors, getting involved in community affairs, staying informed and voting, being a good neighbor, obeying laws and rules, being respectful of authority, protecting our shared environment, volunteering.

Playing by the Rules, Obeying the Law

A person of character plays by the rules as a matter of citizenship. Doing so is not simply a matter of civic responsibility, it is also a matter of fairness. Consider, for example, rules of a youth sports league that establish age standards. Your child is just one month beyond the cut-off. By its nature the rule is arbitrary, but on the theory that a line has to be drawn somewhere, it is a reasonable standard and one that should and does apply to everyone. A good citizen follows the rules even when it is disadvantageous to do so. Otherwise, the rule-breakers always gain unfair advantages at the expense of the rule followers.

This rationale should compel us to board planes according to instructions, stay off the grass where signs are posted, and to refrain from using a cell phone in areas so designated. Rules such as these, where it is not evident how anyone would be hurt by a violation, present powerful challenges to our commitment as good citizens to be law-abiding.

There are a number of reasons why we find it easy to break certain laws (especially when the chances of getting caught are low). Often we don’t understand the purpose behind a law so we dismiss it as silly or petty. Sometimes we do understand the purpose and still think the law is dumb. And there are times when we understand the purpose of the law and agree it is a sensible one, yet we don’t want to pay the price of compliance.

The fact is that our personal approval of a law is not required — nor should it be. If everyone who thought a law was dumb or unreasonably costly could, by virtue of that belief, justifiably violate the law, then no law would have meaning or effect. People would simply do whatever they wanted to do. That’s a lawless and chaotic society.

The vital social contract that makes a democracy work is the agreement that we will be governed by laws. Each of us gives up some personal freedom in order to achieve collective benefits of orderliness, economic stability, personal safety, and justice. In a democracy we deal with unwise or unpleasant rules by changing the rules, not our standards of conduct.

It's important as parents and community members that we model good citizenship by obeying laws and playing by the rules. What we show our children through our example is far more powerful than the than anything we could tell them.

Civil Disobedience. 

As important as it is to a community that people honor and obey its laws, it is sometimes morally justified to break a law under the doctrine of civil disobedience. In the 1963 “Letter >From Birmingham City Jail,” Martin Luther King, Jr. articulated a classic defense of nonviolent civil disobedience. He drew a distinction between just and unjust laws and specified that willful defiance of a law is morally justified as a means of protesting unjust laws. He also set out standards for moral law-breaking:

One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law.

Ed Pelfrey, Principal

 

 

Spring Concert

   Reminder that tonight at 6pm we will be having our annual Spring Concert.  Please plan on attending to hear some very talented students!  See you there. 

 

 

Counselor’s Corner

STAR Testing time for 2^nd thru 8^th graders will start on the 24^th and end the 27^th of April. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest the night before and has a good breakfast. I know that sometimes morning can be quite hectic. Thanks to our PTA, some items for breakfast will be provided.

The STAR Test is in multiple choice format. Please go over these skills with your children to help them best ascertain the answer.

                       

Multiple choice    

• Read the question
• Try to think of the answer before you look at the choices
• Read the choices
• Cross out the wrong ones
• Pick the most logical answer that remains
• Take your time

Thank you for all your support to help your child be successful throughout their school years.

 

Tina Cruz, school counselor

 

 

March Students of the Month

   For the month of February we were looking for our most CARING students. We found the following to recognize for this wonderful character trait: Erica Babbitt, Navelle Loeffler, Akayla Mead, Jason Acevedo, Noah Gee and Blake Hargis. Joyceline Sullivan, Richard Seamus Mills, Sunshine Jenkins-Smith, Daniel Lindsey, Penny Rosen, Joey Stritenberger, Anjolena Meek, Adam Lint, Jimmy Starr and Chance Bourguet. Allison Rathbun, Julian Bloom, Donald McCraney, Crystal Lee, Nadia Kositsky, Daniel Bollinger, Peyton Kostlivy, Mackenzie Mays and Issac Merritt.  Jonathan Gee, Tyler Duncan, Emiley Hardin, Bradley Borbe, Angel Job, Xander Canzoni, Nikole Henson, Ethan Brakefield, Hannah McKee, Jeffrey Kress, Donavan Swanson, Alex Jukes, Noah Kram and Cody Schummer.  Nikolas Ryan, Angeleena Arndt-Linsley, Dylan Coyle and Mickenzie Murphy. Tristan Hagstrom and Kiana Lint. Cyan McCraney and Ott Smithson. 

 

 

P.T.A. News

Breakfast is Served!

   STAR Testing Week sees the P.T.A. serving breakfast to students and their families beginning Monday, April 23^rd. Anytime between 7-8:15am at Columbia 49er Snack Shack (in front of the gym).  Parent volunteers are needed from 6:30-8:30am. You can bring siblings and even if you can only help for a few minutes, that would be great. Please call Andrea Fray  at Columbia School for more information.

Pancake Fridays Are Back

   Every Friday during the month of May (5/4, 11, 18 and 25) the P.T.A. will serve pancakes to students.  Again volunteers are being sought.  Please give Andrea Fray a call if you can help on a Friday or all Fridays. 

April Meeting Rescheduled

   The April P.T.A. Meeting has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 24^th at 8:15am, at the Warming Kitchen in the Snack Shack.  There will not be a meeting on April 26^th.  The last P.T.A. Meeting for the year will be on May 17^th. 

 

 

Yearbooks

Yearbooks on sale now! Do not miss out! We ran out last year!! $25 each...

So many fun memories!!

Forms are in office..

Questions?? Mrs. Fray 533-7700 ext. 214

 

 

Spring Pictures

   Rain, rain go away was our phrase when we attempted Spring Pictures earlier this month.  We have rescheduled for Tuesday, May 1^st to be able to produce a photo of the quality you and your child deserve.  Every child will be photographed and then a package will be sent home for you to review and decide if you’d like to purchase. New forms are being sent home with this newsletter.  Please be on the lookout for the forms and maybe clouds on May 1^st (hopefully not the clouds). 

 

 

 

Lost and Found

   All items that are turned in will be kept in our Lost & Found (Portable 17) for two weeks.  If items are not claimed they will be donated to our local charities.  Please label all your children’s clothes, lunch bags, backpacks, etc., with first and last name and home room number for easy returning.  If you have questions about our Lost & Found, please contact Shelly Thomas at 532-2964.