Percy's Blog -  What NOT
to learn from the Election 

As our nation turns its attention to the presidential election, 17% of likely voters remain undecided about which candidate they will support in November. There are clear policy distinctions between the Romney/Ryan and Obama/Biden tickets, and there are areas where their differences are less obvious. The job of the respective campaigns is to try to convince the relatively small percentage of undecided voters that their vision for our country's future will improve voters' personal and collective circumstances. In forty-eight days, we will know whose argument was more persuasive.

The most basic civics lesson teaches students that our two-party system provides Republicans and Democrats a platform to present distinct visions for governing. Fortunately for them, California is not a swing state, and they are not privy to the barrage of cruel and misleading negative commercials that are ubiquitous in states like Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida. When politicians, and their campaign's surrogates, engage in deception, obfuscation, and vicious attacks on their opponents, they create a social climate where lies and uncivil discourse become acceptable. This makes our jobs as educators more difficult as we try to instill in our students the importance of truth, respect, and personal responsibility.

At Gateway School, we ask all of our students to read and to sign a community pledge that outlines our school's values and our students' responsibility to uphold them. Our pledge reads:

All of us together make Gateway a community that welcomes and includes others. At Gateway School, we believe in personal, social and environmental responsibility.

This is my school, and as a member of the Gateway community:

• I will be respectful, kind and caring to others and to myself.
• I will think before I speak and be responsible for what I say and do.
• I will help keep Gateway a safe and clean place.
• I will tell the truth and be honest in my work and play.
• I will always give my best effort.

Teaching our students to be honest, caring, truthful, and responsible is the most important work that we do. It helps to ensure that they become better students and more engaged citizens. Educators often lament that we are teaching virtues that are not regularly modeled outside of our community, especially in the political world.

Over the next month, we invite you to join with our teachers and talk with your children about how your family embodies the values represented in our community pledge. While Gateway School may not be able to influence the national political discourse, by adhering to the tenets of the pledge we can all do our part to make our community safer, kinder, and more respectful.

New Families:  You are invited to attend the presentation in the West Cliff Room at 6:30pm to hear from our Specialist teachers (Spanish, PE, Art, Music, Life Lab, Technology) about their curriculum and approach.  After this presentation you will go to your child(ren)'s classrooms to hear from the classroom teacher.  We are looking forward to seeing you!

Also a reminder to all families that childcare is available for $5/child. Please sign up now in the Main Office.