Lifeskills

Hillcrest staff, as the foundation for our discipline and recognition program, has adopted Lifeskills.  It is taught throughout the curriculum on an on-going basis to help children develop personal responsibility along with the district adopted Second Step and Steps to Respect.

Over the past six years, we have only focused on the Lifelong Guideline of Personal Best.  Working at your personal best means that you give your best possible performance given the time and resources available.  Aristotle wrote, “We are what we repeatedly do.  Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”  Personal Best is best defined by the 17 Lifeskills listed below.

Caring:  being considerate of others

Common Sense: making wise decisions and using good judgment

Cooperation:  working together

Courage:  to act according to one’s set of beliefs

Curiosity:  a desire to learn and know about all things

Effort:  working hard and being willing to do my personal best

Flexibility:  willing to change plans when necessary

Friendship:  knowing how to make and keep a good friend

Initiative:  taking the first step

Integrity:  to be honest

Organization:  to be able to plan in an orderly way

Patience:  taking time to do something

Perseverance:  finishing what you begin

Pride:  Satisfaction from doing your personal best

Problem Solving: finding out what you know and using it

Responsibility:  being dependable and trustworthy

Sense of Humor: to laugh and be playful without hurting others

So what are Lifelong Guidelines?

Trustworthiness:  To act in a manner that makes one worthy of confidence and trust

Truthfulness:  To be honest about things and feelings with oneself and others

Active Listening:  To listen with the intention of understanding what the speaker means to communicate

No Put-Downs:  Not to use words, actions, and/or body language to degrade, humiliate, or dishonor others

Personal Best:  One’s best possible performance given the time and resources available