Theodore Roosevelt said, "To educate a person in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society." To stop "moral drift" we all need to take an active role in demonstrating and teaching the virtues. Virtues education represents a move away from moral relativism. It teaches standards of good behavior that are valued by all cultures and spiritual traditions.  Instilling the virtues as children grow builds a strong foundation for a successful life of doing good and making our world a better place! 

Every month we focus on one virtue to help our children understand the importance of being a good citizen. We will read stories, use real life examples and have group discussions during circle time to accomplish this. Some of the virtues we cover may be:

            assertiveness            diligence                integrity              reliability

            caring                      enthusiasm            joyfulness             respect

            cleanliness                excellence             justice                 responsibility

            commitment              flexibility                kindness              self-discipline

            compassion               forgiveness            love                    service

            confidence                friendliness            loyalty                 tact

            consideration             generosity            moderation            thankfulness

            cooperation               gentleness            modesty               tolerance

            courage                    helpfulness            ordorliness            trust

            courtesy                   honesty                patience               trustworthiness

            creativity                  honor                   peacefulness         truthfulness

            detachment               humility                perseverance         understanding

            determination             idealism                purposefulness       unity

 

Cassidy M.’s mom returned from their Thanksgiving weekend and was excited to tell us that her four year old daughter had correctly used a virtue she had learned at our school. After her uncle complained about his job and said he was ready to quit she said, “I think you just need to persevere though this!” (November, 2001)

AmeriMont Academy offers a Montessori preschool through kindergarten environment with childcare currently located in Anaheim Hills and Carmichael, to service both the Orange County and Sacramento areas of California.