CHARACTER EDUCATION:

Pendleton Academies is an effective, small, caring, vibrant community in which students succeed academically and personally because of the emphasis placed on character education and strength-based learning. We believe in providing students with early, consistent, emotionally safe opportunities to learn and take the responsibility of their successes, their mistakes and their own lives. Research states that students learn better and behave more responsibly in small, intimate, caring environments in which they feel accountable to and for one another. Pendleton Academies provides the nurturing and supportive atmosphere in which character strengths are promoted.

Our character education is based on the work of Joan Madden, a teacher and one of the primary founders of the modern character education movement. The need for character education is apparent. A study released in 2000, The Ethics of American Youth Report Card, shows that in a national survey of 8,600 high school students, 71% reported cheating on exams, 92% reported lying to their parents, 40% reported stealing something from a store, 16% reported being drunk at school, and 68% reported they hit someone because they were angry at least once that year.

Pendleton Academies is a community of adult mentors and teachers who embrace children and their character development as the cornerstone of life-long learning. We welcome your child to experience wisdom and learning the Pendleton Academies way in order to:

• Accept responsibility for their own actions
• Resolve conflicts peacefully
• Listen to others with understanding
• Express themselves effectively
• Respect oneself and others
• Contribute to others' well being
• Value learning as a life-long pursuit
• Develop habits of good health and safety
• Grow in knowledge and wisdom
• Appreciate silence as a time to reflect
• Respect the environment
• Contribute to their community
• Live with vision and integrity
• Appreciate and value the arts
• Cooperate, collaborate, and lead
• Be patient and speak with care
• Be strong and have courage
• Enjoy life and learn to appreciate humor
• Learn to value Love, Loyalty, Kindness and Generosity