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The Northridge Local Schools, like all districts across the Miami Valley, strive daily to meet the ever-growing and ever-changing demands of the state department of education and the state legislature. State assessments, learning standards, accountability measures, graduation requirements and the state report card continue to occupy much of our operational time and efforts (and budgets).
Despite these mandates, and the considerable time and effort invested in fulfilling them, schools must refuse to lose focus on meeting the needs of every child, and on instilling the characteristics and values that will truly prepare students to be successful, contributing difference makers in their homes, workplaces and communities.
In Northridge, this focus centers on seven core values we believe will prepare our students to enjoy an exceptionally successful and meaningful journey ahead.
First, students must learn to be honest, consistent and appropriate in their communication. They must be “real” with others and free of deception. They must communicate with empathy, compassion and respect. They must avoid gossip and rumors, while learning to speak and receive the truth with love.
Second, students must find their calling. They must passionately engage their work and one another with a positive, joyful and contagious demeanor. They must find their passion and purpose in life and align their activities and actions in a manner that fuels this passion and fulfills this calling.
Third, students must focus on always improving. Each day, they must strive to learn, grow, develop and mature. They must listen and learn from the success of others in order to maximize their potential and become the best version of themselves that they can possibly be.
Fourth, students must build relationships that make their schools like a family. They must develop positive, meaningful friendships that will last a lifetime. They must love and care about each other, challenge each other, have fun together, laugh together, cry together, stand together, strive together and succeed together ... just like a family!
Fifth, students must believe they can and will achieve at high levels and focus on individual and collaborative success. They must embrace learning and growing in an environment that prepares them to achieve individually or in groups, to think critically and creatively, and to recognize challenges and obstacles as merely opportunities to shine.
Sixth, students must learn to understand and meet legitimate needs. They must enthusiastically look for opportunities to help and support others while maintaining their own health and well-being as well. They must remove obstacles that hinder themselves or others from success, while offering patience, kindness, humility, respectfulness, selflessness, forgiveness, honesty and commitment.
Lastly, students must learn to be models of personal responsibility and behavioral integrity. They must hold high expectations for themselves and others and work to ensure high levels of accountability as well. They must learn to follow up and follow through on their commitments, and to carefully plan and prepare for success in all endeavors. They must learn to align their daily actions with their words of intention to become truly responsible and trustworthy women and men.
In the end, the development of these seven core values will not only assist our students and schools in meeting the requirements and expectations of the state, but more importantly, will ensure that our students are prepared to face their future with confidence as they become successful contributing difference makers in their homes, workplaces and communities. God bless and God speed to all students on the journey ahead!