December's Pillar of the Month is citizenship
Spirit day : december 12 : wear purple
What is citizenship?
Being a citizen means more than basic rights and responsibilities. It involves the quality of an individual's character and how they act as a fellow human being in the global community.
A good citizen is someone who:
The benefits students get from learning citizenship include the following:
Here are some ways citizenship is taught at Skyview:
- Legal and political status: In its simplest meaning, citizenship can be defined as membership in a country, community or group. It allows privileges like voting and the ability to hold public office but it also comes with obligations like paying taxes and following the law.
- Involvement in the community: Citizenship also means your relationship with the community in which you are a member. In other words, your behaviour and actions. It's not just following the rights and behaviors laid down by the law, it also means adhering to the social and moral behavior expected of a citizen.
Being a citizen means more than basic rights and responsibilities. It involves the quality of an individual's character and how they act as a fellow human being in the global community.
A good citizen is someone who:
- cares about the feelings and rights of others
- shows concern for the safety and well-being of others
- stays informed about issues and voices their opinion
- votes
- conserves resources and follows the 3 Rs-- reduce, reuse and recycle
- uses their skills to make a better community
The benefits students get from learning citizenship include the following:
- The self-confidence to deal with every day life occurrences like a fight during recess or a disagreement in class, or sharing with others.
- It gives them a voice in their school, community and society.
- It enables them to make a contribution to the world they live in.
- It prepares them for the ups and downs of the adult working world.
Here are some ways citizenship is taught at Skyview:
- Kids are aware of concepts such as democracy, justice and equality;
- Kids know that their voices are heard in the classroom;
- Kids can express themselves without fear of embarrassment or failure;
- The classroom allows for discussion and debate on current issues that are important and relevant to young people;
- Every student is treated equally;
- Students are encouraged to treat each other with dignity and respect;
- Older students mentor younger ones;
- Students stand up for each other;
- Kids are learning about government and politics, taxation, the economy, law and criminality.
- Kids are aware of themselves as members of the global community and are encouraged to be proactive-- like organizing book drives to raise money for kids in another country, or recycling and saving energy.