Respect: January’s ARMOUR Trait of the Month

Respect: January’s ARMOUR Trait of the Month

At GSTS, our ARMOUR traits inspire and guide us to be our best selves. In January, we kicked off the new year by focusing on respect, a cornerstone of our vibrant school community.

Respect is about valuing ourselves, others, and the world around us. It’s reflected in the way we treat people, our environment, and even how we handle challenges. This trait strengthens relationships, builds trust, and fosters a positive atmosphere where everyone feels valued.

What Does Respect Look Like?

Respect can take many forms, including:

• Listening actively: Paying attention when someone is speaking and valuing their perspective.

• Showing kindness: Treating others with care and consideration.

• Taking responsibility: Owning our actions and their impact on others.

• Caring for our environment: Keeping our spaces clean and treating shared resources thoughtfully.

By embracing these practices, we create a school community where everyone can thrive.

Building a Respect Chain

To celebrate respect in action, we introduced a school-wide Respect Chain as part of January’s house challenge. Each link of the chain represented an example or definition of respect, written by students and staff from all four houses.

Here’s how we made it happen:

• Brainstorming Respect: Students reflected on what respect means to them and shared examples of how they practice it in their daily lives.

• Creating Links: Each student wrote their example or definition of respect on a paper strip, which became a link in their house’s chain.

• Joining Forces: At our assembly, the individual house chains were connected to form one giant Respect Chain, symbolizing unity and shared commitment to this vital trait.

The Respect Chain not only highlighted the creativity and thoughtfulness of our school community but also served as a visual reminder of how respect connects us all.

Celebrating Respect

Our January assembly was a celebration of respect in action. Terrific Kid and Terrific Teen awards were given out to some of our most respectful Gladiators. The completed Respect Chain was displayed proudly, showing the collective efforts of all houses.

How Families Can Reinforce Respect

Respect begins at home, and families play a vital role in modeling and encouraging this trait. Here are some ways to foster respect in your household:

• Encourage open and respectful communication by actively listening to each other.

• Discuss examples of respect seen in books, movies, or daily life.

• Set clear expectations for kindness and accountability.

• Celebrate acts of respect, both big and small, within your family.

Respect as a Foundation

Respect is more than a trait—it’s a foundation for creating a positive, inclusive, and supportive community. By focusing on this ARMOUR trait, we’re helping students build skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

As we move into February, let’s carry forward the lessons learned from January and continue to show respect in all we do. Together, we can strengthen our connections and make Glendale School a place where everyone feels valued and supported.