Chester is a safe, supportive, lovely community, and our children attend a wonderful school. But that is not mutually exclusive of our students having the opportunity or the need to be courageous. When you think about what courage actually is, you can see that it is an important aspect of each child's character development. Being brave in the face of fear and doing what needs to be done even when it is really hard are both examples of courage.

Children need courage when they:
*    try new things even if they are scared, like learning to ride a bike or entering a new social situation.
*    keep trying to master a new skill even when they are frustrated or other children laugh at their attempts.
*    do the "right" thing in difficult situations, like standing up for another child who is being treated in a mean way.
*    admit to mistakes, like owning up to a mistake and then apologizing and doing what it takes to make things right.

Having courage helps children persevere against challenges, and, in the process, it improves their self-esteem. When children feel good about themselves and see that they have the personal power to make courageous choices, they are more likely to lead personally satisfying and successful lives.

As we move toward the end of the school year and the transition to a new grade and teacher, we will do everything we can at CES to ensure that students transition well, and ask that they be courageous, if needed.

Joanne D. Beekley, Ed.D. 

Principal