Monday, September 14, 2015

Colt PRIDE

By Travis Niemeyer

If you’ve spent any amount of time at CMS, you have inevitably heard "Colt Pride" yelled out or seen it posted on  a wall.  And to the uninitiated, this may just sound like a simple slogan, a rallying cheer, or a catchy acrostic.  The truth is Colt PRIDE is much more. 



Colt PRIDE helps students understand how to develop true pride in themselves, their school, and their work.  In an age of participation trophies and "atta boys" for everyone, it can be tough for middle schoolers to generate a strong sense of genuine pride in their character and their accomplishments.  Through Colt PRIDE, we strive to show students that pride isn't a result of showing up, but in perseverance, respect, integrity, discipline, and excellence. 

PERSEVERANCE
"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close to success they were when they gave up." - Thomas Edison

There's a lot of research and writing lately talking about "grit" as a key component of success.  With the good fortune of hindsight, I can see how the proudest moments of my life were the result of a lot of hard work, sweat, and tears.  Kids, however, with their limited experiences, often want to give up when faced with adversity and fears of failure.  Instead of pushing through the hard times, they say, I'm just not good at ____."  Adults aren't immune to this thinking or the wishful dream of a shortcut or miracle pill.  Ultimately, easy victories often ring hollow and the pride you feel is fleeting.  It's the victories that come from perseverance, and a never-give-up-mentality, that we celebrate for years to come.  These are the victories that develop true pride.  

RESPECT 
"Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners." - Laurence Stern

Respect is a cornerstone of pride.  Without respect for yourself, your work, and others, it’s hard to develop pride.  There are really three different forms of respect.  There is respect that is given freely, understanding that all people are worthy basic courtesy, there is respect that we have for ourselves (see integrity below), and then there is the respect that is earned through consistency, hard work, and trustworthiness.  Our mission is to help instill all three types of respect in every child that comes through our doors. 

INTEGRITY
"Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking." - C.S. Lewis

Integrity is at the heart of character.  It's hard to have pride in yourself as a person, if deep down you question your goodness.  I have shared C.S. Lewis' quote with many students over the year, and empathized with them on the difficulty of admitting mistakes or "doing the right thing."  These are troublesome qualities for many adults, much less pre-teens and teenagers.  However, developing a strong sense of integrity is essential for pride in one's self.  

DISCIPLINE
"Self-discipline is something, it's like a muscle.  The more you use it, the stronger it gets." - Daniel Goldstein

Self-discipline is a hard trait to master.  In a culture that lives for the short term, it’s sometimes hard to think beyond the moment and put forth the hard work necessary to meet our goals.  But, discipline is a critical part of success, and ultimately pride.  We strive to instill discipline in students through their academic, fine arts, and athletic endeavors.  

Excellence
"Every job is a self-portrait of the person who does it.  Autograph your work with excellence." - Unknown

Excellence is not a destination, but a constant pursuit.  When I speak to students about excellence, I talk about doing your best and continually pushing yourself to be better.  Excellence is not about being the best at a particular subject or sport.  Excellence is about being the best "you" you can be.  


I guess, ultimately, Colt PRIDE can best be summed up by Coach John Wooden and his definition of success: 

"Success is peace of mind, which is a direct result of the self-satisfaction in knowing you made the best effort to be the best of which you are capable." 

We all want our children to be successful, and at CMS, we believe that Colt PRIDE is the key to being Colt PROUD!




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