PFE's Tools for Citizenship / Habits of The Heart Award


CITIZENSHIP - Building our school community through strong Lifelong Guidelines, Life Skills and Habits of the Heart that make our school a great place for everyone.

At PFE we are learning about and will follow the Lifelong Guidelines of:
  • Trustworthiness - to act in a manner that makes one worthy of trust and confidence
  • Truthfulness - to act with personal responsibility and mental accountability
  • Active Listening - to listen attentively with intention to understand
  • No Put Downs - to never use words, actions and/or body language that degrades, humiliates or dishonors others
  • Personal Best - to do one's best given the circumstance and available resources
These five Lifelong Guidelines provide consistent parameters and expectations of conduct in our school community --- what behaviors to expect from others and ourselves. They are the social outcomes we set for our community. They also ensure that everyone is in an environment that encourages exploring, discovering and learning as well as a safe, nurturing environment that promotes our district's strategic plan. We believe that these behaviors contribute to a sense of workability in life, not only in the school and classroom but also at home and as an adult in life.

These principles ensure that each student's attitude and emotional state are ready for optimal learning. These are social outcomes that we set for everyone and provide consistent boundaries and expectations for everyone's boundaries and performance.

We will also learn about and practice the 18 Life Skills that help define the Lifelong Guidelines of Personal Best.
  • Caring - to feel and show concern for others
  • Common Sense - to use good judgment
  • Cooperation - to work together toward a common goal or purpose
  • Courage - to act according to one's beliefs despite fear of consequences
  • Curiosity - a desire to investigate and seek understanding
  • Effort - to do one's best
  • Flexibility - to be willing to alter plans when necessary
  • Friendship - to make and keep a friend through mutual trust and caring
  • Initiative - to do something, of one's own free will, because it need to be done
  • integrity - to act according to a sense of what is right and wrong
  • Organization - to plan, arrange and implement in an orderly way; to keep things orderly and ready to use
  • Patience - to calmly wait for someone or something
  • Perseverance - to keep at it
  • Pride - satisfaction from doing one's personal best
  • Problem Solving - to create solutions to difficult situation and everyday problems
  • Resourcefulness - to respond o challenges and opportunities in innovative and creative ways
  • Responsibility - to respond when appropriate; to be accountable for one's actions
  • Sense of Humor - to laugh and be playful without hurting others

Check the Tools for Citizenship calendar to see the schedule for the Life Skills being taught.

HABITS of the HEART:
  • Nurturing Attitudes - characterized by unselfish caring, support and willingness to share time
  • Responsibility - showing and encouraging a personal commitment to each task
  • Dependability - being there for others through all the times of their lives a steady influence that makes tomorrow a welcome event
  • Friendship - Friendship is the habit that binds people together when we take pleasure in each other's company, listen, laugh and share good times and bad
  • Community - the habit that reaches beyond comfortable relationships to extend a welcome to those who may be different from ourselves
  • High Expectations - involves believing that others can be successful, telling them so and praising their accomplishments
  • Courage - standing up and doing the right thing, speaking out on behalf of others and making a commitment to excellence in the face of adversity or the absence of support
  • Hope - believing in tomorrow--going beyond what we see because we have learned to see with our hearts