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The Kuwait American School - Policy on Living Values Education

Overview

The Kuwait American School is a caring, values-based school committed to delivering international education to the highest academic standards. We educate the whole person towards the highest level of human consciousness in a learning environment of intercultural understanding and respect. Our mission is to serve our one world community by empowering valuable members of society.
 

Aim

At the Kuwait American School our aim is to underpin all that we do with values education.
 

What are Values?

  • Values are the worthwhile qualities deep within each person that are shared through their presence, words, actions and character.

  • Values guide our thinking and behavior.

  • Many values are shared values which carry different meanings according to culture, context and individual experience.

  • Sharing and living our values adds to the quality of living and learning for all.

 

The Living Values Aide Memoire

The Living Values Education Aide Memoire summarizes the 5 key components of Living Values Education:

  • creating the atmosphere
  • the heart of Living Values
  • practicalities
  • reaching out
  • nurturing the soul

Creating a values-based atmosphere is an essential part of Living Values Education.

Aide-mémoire - English

Aide-mémoire - Arabic

What are the 12 core values of Living Values Education?

The 12 core values are:

  • peace
  • respect
  • love
  • happiness
  • freedom
  • honesty
  • humility
  • tolerance
  • cooperation
  • responsibility
  • simplicity
  • unity

The list is not exclusive as additional values are welcomed.

How are the values addressed?

Each value is addressed on a monthly basis throughout the year either as:

  • a single, separate value;

  • as part of a complementary set of values - such as Peace and Self Respect; or

  • in a living context.

 

Placing values in context

Each school year, values are placed in a living context on a monthly basis as per the school calendar. For example: one year, the themes were:

  • September - Peace
  • October - Self Respect
  • November - Honesty
  • December - Simplicity
  • January - Responsibility
  • February - Love
  • March - Cooperation
  • April - Happiness
  • May - Time for Me

Additional themes include: caring, kindness, thankfulness, courage, one world.

 

The 9 varieties of Living Values Education activities

The nine varieties of Living Values Education are as follows:

  • reflection points
  • imagining
  • relaxation/ focusing exercises
  • artistic expression
  • self-development activities
  • stories and activities that enhance Social Justice
  • techniques for developing Social Cohesion
  • applying curriculum knowledge and our shared values in everyday life
  • self-generated activities

 

The place of Peace Time

Peace Time invites everyone to be still and quiet. Peace time focuses on the self by using a variety of approaches:

  • sitting quietly
  • closing your eyes
  • the playing of soft music
  • the playing of background music whilst working
  • a commentary that invites reflective thoughts
  • a commentary that invites words of affirmation
  • time to reflect on what has been learned
  • time to be quietly creative

 

Training for Values

Values cannot be taught; they can only be caught.

Whilst the methodology and materials are shared and explained, it is the modeling of the values by the educator that makes all the difference.

The school, therefore, places great significance on modeling the values at all levels.

 

Creating a family where values can be lived together

Positive atmospheres create the all-important element of how to live together"”with a relational trust"”based on 5 staff-generated indicators:

  • a place where you are welcomed
  • a place to feel at ease with yourself
  • a place to know yourself
  • a place to feel part of a team
  • a place to feel loved, valued, respected, understood and safe

Positive atmospheres create settings that encourage

  • the use of a shared language of values
  • ethical behavior
  • values-based leadership at all levels of responsibility
  • a community of learning and giving that reaches out to others
  • visual evidence of living our values

 

The place of assemblies

The value or theme for the month is introduced in the assembly at the start of the month.

 

Assemblies:

  • invite in a quiet time for all students and staff to feel part of the KAS family
  • create a central focus to encourage students to think about the theme
  • offer high quality stories, songs and/or presentations
  • provide a place to model our values.


Assemblies for KG and Elementary Students

Assemblies take place for KG and Elementary students three times a week and are led by students and staff. The content of the invitational assembly includes songs, movement, plays, public speaking, celebrations of class work, and reflection time.

Assemblies for Middle and High School Students

Extended assemblies take place for Middle/ High students once or twice a month and are led by students and staff. The content of the invitational assemblies includes group workshops on a given theme, fund raising programs, plays, ethical issues of the day, and celebration of learning.

Parents are regularly invited to attend assemblies.

What are the indicators for living our values?

Student and staff needs

  • to feel LVRUS - loved, valued, respected, understood and safe
  • to have and to develop relationships and to learn to live together
  • to develop a self-awareness and knowledge of the world outside of themselves
  • to enjoy creative experiences, including internal reflection and outside exploration


Teaching and learning about values

  • Teachers begin by explaining the meaning of the value.
  • Students reflect on the value and what it means to them and their own behavior.
  • Students use the value to guide their own actions.


Staff modeling

  • using a range of voice tonalities
  • valuing all students
  • focusing on and emphasize the positive
  • disapproving of the inappropriate behavior - never the student
  • making time for one another
  • being mutually supportive
  • sharing and appreciating the school's values with parents and the wider community


Student skill indicators

  • showing helpful politeness and good manners to everyone in school.
  • speaking politely to others
  • listening carefully to and thinking about what others are saying
  • demonstrating the ability to reflect
  • demonstrating the ability to empathize and show tolerance
  • being able to visualize and use imagination
  • being able to be still
  • being able to express feelings constructively
  • developing positive attitudes to work and play
  • accepting personal responsibility for actions
  • caring and showing respect for one another and their property.


School indicators

  • a welcoming place
  • a calm working atmosphere
  • positive regard for one another
  • value/ theme for the month displayed around school
  • appropriate evidence of student's values-based learning in rooms and hallways
  • to treat others as you would like to be treated yourself


Assessment

The emerging indicators are as follows:

  • A warm welcome to school
  • Calm, friendly and engaging classroom environment
  • Positive behavior of students that is consistently well managed
  • Excellent attitude to work in lessons and respect for all in the learning environment
  • Well planned programs for students to understand the importance of values in their lives and how to make their own ethical choices
  • Positive student relationships in and out of the classroom
  • Displayed evidence of values-based themes and learning
  • Monitoring the atmosphere and approaches 'the way' to learning
  • Anecdotal data through conversation and informal observation
  • Formal observation of teaching and learning
  • Tracking student academic achievement over time.