As we launch into election season, we all need to be aware of our roles in maintaining civility in discourse, cultivating critical thinking, and maintaining our ethical standards. This is a challenging task in any election year, but even more so now as the country seems to be quite polarized and divided. 

 

As you know, the challenge of maintaining respectful discourse is heightened in the discussion of topics that are highly emotional or charged in some way. As you navigate these waters in your homes, it might be helpful to keep the Clairbourn Code of Ethics in mind and help the children do the same.  

 

Let respect, responsibility, honesty, citizenship, and spirituality lead the way. Each individual has political views, informed by personal experiences, information gathered from a variety of sources, and our own visceral responses to what we see. There are certain topics that illicit a strong response in each of us, sometimes a highly emotional response. This is completely normal for people who care. 

I challenge you to express these views and feel things passionately while maintaining a language of respect and civility as you share your personal views in your homes. Your children are watching, listening, and learning from you. Help them to understand WHY you take a certain position. Help them understand WHY others may feel differently. Help them understand WHY you value your sources for election information rather than social medial posts. Help them to support their opinions with facts. Help them examine comments they hear with a discerning ear. Help them understand the benefits of having conversations to understand multiple perspectives. 

 

In class, we endeavor to have our students express themselves clearly and thoughtfully. We want them to think critically and work to understand each other. We honor the diverse views of our families, and challenge the students to express these views with respect. When parents consistently model this at home, it makes it much easier for the students to carry this style of discourse to the classroom.

 

We know that the conversations will not be perfect, but we will work to maintain civility and respect in our classes. To me, the Clairbourn Code of Ethics is a great filter for the whole political scene. If we all express our thoughts with RESPECT, share only that which is HONEST, act in ways that are RESPONSIBLE, behave as good CITIZENS, and ground ourselves in SPIRITUALITY, we will all be better for it! 

 

The Clairbourn family is not affiliated with a political party, but we stand firmly for principles in our Code of Ethics!  It is nice to have something that we can all agree on and support together.

Virtual Panel Featuring Tetra Tech Leaders

There is still time to register for today's 5pm event! Clairbourn Presents: Women in STEM - Virtual Panel Featuring Tetra Tech Leaders. We welcome our alumni, current families, friends, and the entire Clairbourn community to hear from our corporate partner Tetra Tech and women professionals on topics such as their career journeys, the challenges and rewards of their careers, and advice for those who want to pursue a STEM career. Tetra Tech is a high-end consulting and engineering firm, with 20,000 employees, that was founded in Pasadena in 1966.

 

 

 

Catch up On Morning Assembly Messages