High School Character Supplement

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CHARACTER

AN INTRODUCTION TO

As you read on, you will discover

Introduction

how to become a person of character in communication, in relationships, in your

Without your even knowing it, your experiences in life have built your

decision making, in time management,

character. Your parents, family, friends,

in dealing with change and stress, and

teachers, and communities all have had

in being a global citizen. A person of

a stake in building you up to be the

character must be aware of all of these

person you are today. Every interaction

things in order to truly find balance and

that you have with another human

truth in his/her life.

being or living creature shows what type of person you are. How are you

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respectful? How are you responsible? How are you caring? How are you fair? or not—how you answer those questions says a lot about the type of person that you are and are becoming. People of character choose to make good choices and are firm in their

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How are you a good citizen? Believe it

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words and actions. They have a firm

foundation behind them so that they

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can make choices that impact the world around them. People of character take the lead and succeed. They have

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figured out what it takes to be a good

person today so that they can continue to make a difference tomorrow.

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No one said it would be easy,

though. Being a person of character is

difficult. You have to figure out what is

right in a world that is full of wrongs

and stick to it, even when someone

close to you might try to pressure you into another direction. Every single day is a challenge. Every day there are opportunities to make mistakes, pick up the pieces, and make better decisions tomorrow.

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COMMUNICATION

PEOPLE OF CHARACTER IN

People of Character… in Communication

Communication is a beast of a word. It can include everything from how you write an e-mail to a friend to how you

You communicate with others every

speak with your mom about what you’d

day through your words, actions, facial

like to do this weekend. However you

expressions, but most of all, through

look at it, understanding how you

your character. How you choose to

communicate your character is important.

your character. Let’s face it—sometimes

A person of character must

our communication is great, but other

realize that every interaction he/she

times, it just stinks.

has with another living thing

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communicates a message—

SET THE TONE

communicate is a direct reflection of

Let’s think about what it’s like being a

good or bad. That’s because

high school student today. You

friends, you text-message, you may use

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communication has something

personal networking sites on the web,

shared during the communication.

communicate in ways that your parents

called tone. Tone is how

and teachers never did when they were

something is perceived or

your age. You have access to the

interpreted based on how the

Internet with instant-messaging, you

communication took place.

often use cell phones to chat with your

The way a message is received

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depends upon the tone that is

and blog. Not to mention that you still

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talk with your friends on a daily basis in the halls and classrooms at school and

Greeting your best friend in person

teachers and principals on a daily basis,

at the mall.

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out of school, you interact with your

and most of all, even though you don’t You need to text message a friend

want to admit it, you communicate with

to see if he/she is coming to the

communicate with each of these groups

movie at 7pm.

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your parents every day. The way you

Asking your teacher a question

Instructions:

about a science assignment.

varies based on the situation and topic Calling a friend from school to get

of discussion.

help with a math problem.

Write a statement exactly how you would communicate in each of these situations. Include words and what kind of body language you may be conveying.

You think your parents are being unfair about not allowing you to go to a basketball game with a friend. Describe that conversation. A blog of your day at school. Introducing yourself on a personal networking site.

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So the big question is, how do you

Just think about it. Do you communicate with your friends

maintain integrity in all types of

the same way that you

communication without harming your

communicate with your parents?

character?

you use today each have a different set

table with your mom and dad or

of hidden “rules” for their use.

your grandparents? Probably

One-on-one communication seems to

not, because we tend to use

be the best type of communication to

slang and jargon when we’re just

use, as you can look the person in the

talking with our friends, and your

eye, can read facial and body

parents don’t always appreciate

expressions, and hopefully be able to

that when you are talking with

feel the tone of what is being

them. Do your parents and teachers appreciate when you are sarcastic and convey body

communicated. With the rise of the Internet, computers, and cell phones, people are now “hiding” behind

language that shows disrespect?

technology and communication is

No. But if you rephrase what

becoming a more difficult thing to

you say and present it in a

understand for many people.

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positive light, you are far more

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likely to get what you want.

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ONE ON ONE

The forms of communication that

you’re talking around the dinner

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your friends the same as when

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STAY POSITIVE

Is the language that you use with


COMMUNICATION

PEOPLE OF CHARACTER IN

your words wisely. It’s also very

For instance, you tend to use lots of

important to think about whom

words when you’re talking on the phone

you are sending the message to

with a friend. Your voice inflection and

before you write it. If you are

tone can be heard on the phone, but

sending a message to your friend,

your facial and body expressions

you might use slang and jargon,

cannot. You might be laughing out

but if you are sending a message

loud, but be really annoyed by what

to an adult or a business, you

was said and have a grumpy look on

would write it using correct

your face. You could be rolling your

grammar, usage, and spelling.

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TELEPHONE

going to be interpreted, so choose

way trickier to interpret and understand.

EMAIL

never know how something is

Other forms of communication besides one-on-one communication are

eyes at the person, and they wouldn’t

With the world of the Internet,

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even know it. A person of character will

you have access to many websites,

take the time to be courteous to

social networking sites, chatrooms,

whomever they are speaking with on

blogs, and so much more. It’s

the phone, will listen intently, and will

very important for you to stay safe

not say mean or cruel things to the

and not share personal information

person on the other line. Maintaining

on sites, as you could become a

your integrity as a person is so

target for someone with bad

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important to creating a viable future.

would give a clue about your age.

into your phone or computer to save

If someone asks you inappropriate

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time, and they will have no idea what

questions about sex or asks you

kind of tone you are wanting to convey

to meet them somewhere, don’t

in the message. Something that you

go. Tell an adult right away that

meant to be funny could end up

this happened. Stay on sites that

hurting someone’s feelings because

are “safe” and that your parents

EMAIL

they didn’t know the tone that you

approve. Your safety is number

were trying to send.

one priority. Cyberbullying is becoming more

The same is true with e-mail. When

prevalent with kids your

a person sends an e-mail, we don’t see

age because of the use of

the person’s face as they are typing.

social networking sites

That’s why we tend to use (ha-ha),

and instant-messaging.

(wink-wink) or Just Kidding to help the

If you feel like you are being

other person know what we are

bullied, talk to an adult at

meaning by what was typed. Here

home or at school right

again, once it’s in words on the screen,

away to get the issue

it’s hard to take something back. You

resolved quickly.

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INTERNET SAFETY

graduation year or anything that

and use abbreviations as you type it

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screen names, don’t include your

same friend, you might shorten words

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TEXT MESSAGING

intentions. When creating your

If you instant- or text-message that


through the words that they type

respectful, caring, and fair people as

on a screen and send on the

we communicate. If we don’t have

information super highway. You

that integrity and understand how

have a right to be safe

messages are perceived and conveyed

emotionally and physically…

in our changing society, we will do

period. Anyone who endangers

more harm than good.

that is sending the wrong type Think before you speak. Think before

of communication out!

you type and click send. Think before you share. Your character and integrity are on the line. Be a communicator of

life, you have to know how to

character in all that you

communicate with others. Mastering the art of communication takes time and practice. Learning how to communicate one-on-one a team versus using technology

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to communicate

say and do.

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versus working with

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The bottom line is that in order for you to be successful in

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WORLD WIDE WEB

integrity by being responsible,

involves quite a

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learning curve.

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WORLD WIDE WEB

The hardest part of all is maintaining

No one has the right to ridicule or harm you emotionally


PEOPLE OF CHARACTER IN

RELATIONSHIPS

People of Character… in Relationships

close friend. Those relationships are supposed to be different, and

bonds weak or strong. You may

family, our school friends, our

not see eye to eye with your

classmates, our neighborhood friends,

parents all the time, but you are

our acquaintances, etc. Sometimes our

still bonded to them. You may

circles overlap, but other times they

have disagreements with your

don’t. The relationships that we build

friends, but you still share the

within our “circles” vary based on the

bond of friendship.

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experiences that we share with the

Relationships in school take

people in each circle.

on many meanings. You have

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But what builds a relationship?

relationships with teachers,

A healthy and strong relationship is built

principals, and counselors that are

on trust. Trust isn’t something that just

on a professional level. You have

happens. It has to be nurtured and

the students you see in the

worked on every day.

hallway as acquaintances, but you really don’t know them as a

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person. You have the students that you have class with each day.

Probably not. You more than likely

You might sit next to someone

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best friends the first day you met?

knew that you enjoyed being around the

or work with a team for a

person, but you weren’t about to spill

project, but they may

your deepest, darkest secrets with that

not be a close friend.

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person on the first day of your

friendship. You had to get to know him/her, share some experiences together, and build a trust before

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FINDING YOUR BFF

Think of your best friend. Were you

sharing and understanding could

happen. If you can’t trust someone,

they probably aren’t worth your time. There are many types of

relationships. The relationship you

AT HOME

have with your parents is very different than the relationship you have with close friends. Relationships are forms of connectedness. How connected you feel with another person depends mostly on interaction. The bond that you have with your mom and dad should be different than the bond you have with a

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AT SCHOOL

BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS

relationship is what makes the

our immediate family, our extended

AT HOME

how a person builds a We live our lives in circles. We have


A person of character doesn’t stand by

relationships build your school

and let someone else do what is right.

environment. If any one of those

He/she knows what is right in a given

relationships is out of whack,

situation, and will do whatever it takes

your day could go from

to help someone out. He/she is not

fabulous to bad in a heartbeat.

caught up with social status, what

What’s funny about it all is that if

people think of them, or how much

one relationship is out of whack,

money someone has. He/she believes

quite possibly one of your other

that being a person of character is

relationships will be the help you

about doing good things with each day.

need to get your day back on track. Take the time to build solid relationships at school, as you spend much of your day there. Knowing that you have people you can trust can make

all of the difference in your out-

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look on life.

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understand that we all have differences.

Because we have

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differences, we can

learn from one another. are not biased or rude to

other people. Instead,

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ACCEPT DIFFERENCES

People of character

they take the high road and treat people with respect, no matter what people around them say. This can be difficult when you decide to befriend the new kid, the student who obviously doesn’t have any friends, or to come to the aid of someone who is being bullied or

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ACCEPT DIFFERENCES

friends snickers in the background.

whenever you can. All of these

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sexually harassed while your group of

friends that you hang out with

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SOLID RELATIONSHIPS

You have your core group of


DECISION MAKING

PEOPLE OF CHARACTER IN

No one wants to stick out. It is a

People of Character…in Decision Making

human’s desire to belong to the group. But sometimes making a good decision

Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.

means making a conscious choice to

We make hundreds of decisions each

“stick out” and do what is good and

day—from what to eat to what to wear

right for you.

to how to treat friends at school. There may be times in your life

Decisions are everywhere. What you

when you are offered drugs or

decide is entirely up to you.

alcohol by a peer. There are so

Being a person of character means

when you choose to use drugs or

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of decisions each day, you are asking

alcohol. It directly affects your

yourself, “Am I keeping what is right at

long term health—thus why it is

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the forefront?”

illegal for you to smoke, drink, or use drugs. Rules are made for

Too many times it’s easy to

your safety, and should not be

get caught up in peer

broken. Not only does the

pressure and the

use of drugs or alcohol hurt

desire to belong to

your body, it impairs your

the group and not

judgment and could lead

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stick out. But it’s

you to make decisions that

making is most important.

you will regret later.

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in those times that decision

SAY NO TO DRUGS

many risks that are involved

that as you are making these hundreds

People of character take seriously. How you choose to live your life is a direct

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reflection of your character. The decisions you make today impact your future. Make those decisions wisely.

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MAKE GOOD DECISIONS

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decision making very


PEOPLE OF CHARACTER IN

TIME MANAGEMENT

When you have your entire “life”

People of Character… in Time Management

in your planner, you are able to see week-at-a-glance and know how your

Do you feel like you’re always trying to

evenings will be spent, and therefore,

juggle several things that you’re

you might want to make every effort

involved in just to keep your head

to use every minute in school

above water?

efficiently so that you don’t have

BIG PICTURE

the big picture. You can see the Do you feel like you’re always busy?

homework. There’s a reason why it’s called a planner—it’s meant to help

fact of life in our society. The toughest

you plan ahead so that you use your

part is finding balance in your life.

time in and out of school effectively!

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Young adults today are busy. It’s a

You need time with your friends, time and most importantly, time for you.

for you. Every minute of every day

Carving out enough time for each of

does not have to be a specific task.

those aspects of your life is difficult,

In order for your mind and body to

but it can be done well if you plan for it!

stay balanced, you need “down” time. Be sure to allow time for you to do

You have been given a great

things that you enjoy—perhaps

reading a book, writing in a journal, listening to your favorite music on

parents expect you to use it, but

your MP3 player, visiting your favorite

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planner! Your teachers and your

websites, etc. By taking some time for

about you! If you learn to use

you, you will be better

your planner well now, you will

able to deal with the

set yourself up for success. Many

stress!

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your planner isn’t about them—it’s

adults today use either paper or

electronic planners every single

day to stay organized. They are

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PLANNERS RULE

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tool for time management—this

busy, too, and when you’re a

parent, not only do you have your

own schedule to keep straight, but

you have your entire family’s

schedule to keep organized as well! If you begin a good habit of keeping a good planner now, your life later on will be much easier.

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DOWN TIME

Above all, don’t forget to plan time

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for your activities, time with your family,


STRESS MANAGEMENT

People of Character… In Dealing with Stress

that it is about because it wasn’t true in the first place. A person of character will choose not to take

Is being a high school student

part in the “drama.” They take

stressful? There are lots of high school

the high road and live the Golden

students who feel stressed every day.

Rule—Do unto others as you would have them do to you. No one wants to be hurt emotionally

school and get good grades for yourself

or physically. Do your best to

and also preparation for your career.

keep hurt from happening to

With this pressure comes the stress of

yourself or others.

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more challenging classes than you had in previous years. It’s expected as you

What about getting your first

grow and develop mentally, you need to ways, therefore, with each year in

new computer. This can be a

school comes higher expectations from teachers. And then several times a

challenging venture to manage a work schedule, homework, time

year, stress levels rise in your schools as it’s time to take the tests for chapters

with friends, and extracurricular activities. Be careful with your

time and make sure adding the

this could stress a person out…and this

responsibility of a job doesn’t

is just from school.

interfere with your education.

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or state/national assessments. All of

What about outside of academics?

friends and dealing with “high school

stress! You need downtime every

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yourself is a great way to relieve

because he said this or she said that,

your mind and body to get the

and the group that you hang out with is

rest it needs. You need to rest

getting all upset and talking about it

your world so that you can take

drama.” You know what this is—this

day to decompress and reflect on

person isn’t talking to that person

your day. This time alone allows

which causes even

on a new day tomorrow. Along

more stress so

with downtime, a regular exercise

now no one is

program is a great stress reliever.

talking to

Remember, schedule that time for

anyone. Or when

you. Your mind and body will

someone starts a

thank you for being respectful

rumor

and responsible to yourself,

about a

and your stress levels

person and

will decrease!

it truly does end up hurting the person

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DECOMPRESS

Don’t forget taking time for

There’s stress that can come from

Sa HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA

spending money for a car or a

GET A JOB

be challenged to think in more diverse

job? You want your own

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EVERYDAY PRESSURE

There’s the pressure to do well in

HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA

PEOPLE OF CHARACTER IN


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PEOPLE OF CHARACTER IN

CITIZENSHIP

People of Character…in Being a Global Citizen

priceless. An educated mind can make solid decisions and make a difference in the world.

Being a person of character is Maybe your global impact will be to

far more than just being respectful, responsible, caring, and fair.

be valiant in your efforts to preserve the

It’s about taking all of those things

Earth. Championing recycling in your

and putting them into action by being

neighborhood and school could be a

a good citizen.

start. Reducing your global reduce our consumption of fossil fuels could be next. If the

world every single day. The rise in the

world is not taken care of today,

use of the Internet has expanded the

the Earth will not be the same

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availability of products by the click of

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and services are traded all over the

for your children. Be proactive

a mouse. We are connected to people worldwide through technology,

today by being a global citizen and caring about the

but there are other ways that we can

NATION

Earth. You are the

be connected.

WORLD

impact by making choices that We live in a global society. Goods

future and the future

needs you to step up

Being a global citizen means that

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and encourage conservation and

your personal decisions on your

global citizenship!

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you are aware and see the impact of

surroundings. Taking the time to care about your own school, city, state,

STATE

nation and world means that every day

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is an opportunity to bring about change. One of the first decisions you have is

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to take the privilege of an education seriously. The education that you are receiving is not something that

CITY

all people your age in the world have. Plug in to your education every single

value your education increases your impact on the world. An educated mind is

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SCHOOL

day. Taking the time to


“Step up” to Citizenship *Instructions: Citizens impact the world with their personal decisions. Take a minute to fill in the staircase with things that you can do to impact each of the communities in which you are a member. Remember, every day is an opportunity

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for good citizens to bring about change!

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