Every classroom at Mariposa School uses the Life Skills and Life Long
Guidelines (Kovalik 1994) as our positive and proactive discipline
program. This program allows us to reinforce positive decisions and to
teach students how to make better choices about their behavior. We view
discipline as an opportunity to teach students to learn from their mistakes
rather than to strictly punish. The goal is to have students not only
learn from their mistakes but also to be responsible for their behavior.
Consistent with this philosophy is the use of natural and logical consequences
for breaking rules or misbehavior. Consequences are more effective when
they occur immediately and are tied directly to the incident or situation.
Life Long Guidelines
- Be Trustworthy
- Be Truthful
- Active Listening
- No Put Downs
- Do Your Personal Best
Life Skills
- Respect-to care for and honor
- Integrity-to act according to what's right and wrong
- Initiative-to do something because it needs to be done
- Flexibility-the ability to alter plans when necessary
- Perseverance- to keep at it
- Organization-to work in an orderly way
- Sense of Humor-to laugh and be playful without hurting others
- Effort-to do your best
- Common Sense-to think it through
- Problem Solving-to create solutions
- Responsibility-to be accountable for your actions
- Patience-to wait calmly
- Friendship-to make and keep a friend through mutual trust and caring
- Curiosity-to investigate and seek understanding
- Cooperation-to work together towards a common goal
- Caring-to show and feel concern
- Courage-the willingness to act on your beliefs
- Pride-satisfaction from doing your best