I know some of you may not be Disney fans, but sorry, they've got me hook, line, and sinker. I know they aren't perfect, but overall I buy into their brand. And they were in the news again not too long ago (a Twitter post) partly because of it. Apparently they have a "no sad kids" rule, which employees may invoke to do all sorts of things.
- Child drops their ice cream cone. Employee grabs them a new one, gratis.
- Child has an "accident," soils their clothing. Employee replaces their attire.
- Child loses a souvenir (those "ears," perhaps?). Employee gives them another.
The point is that Disney boldly proclaims themselves the "Happiest Place on Earth." Sad children do not fit with that declaration. Employees are empowered and encouraged to maintain and spread the happiness!
What rule do we have at our Lutheran Schools? We know our primary motivation (our Savior), but how does it show through a rule we all can embrace. What principle at your school empowers your entire staff to go to extraordinary measures to address need? Perhaps one of these might be applicable:
- No unwanted children.
- No one without a friend.
- Kindness for all.
- That "Lutheran School family" thing? We mean it!
I'm not sure what rings the most true for you, but I like to envision what happens because of such a rule.
• A teacher spends all of recess talking with four girls who are having "drama", who really need to talk it out, despite that it costs the teacher their own break time.
• An administrative assistant draws little pictures on bandaids, bringing the beauty of butterflies to the sadness of the boo-boo.
• A coach encourages and models cheering for teammates and having fun being part of the team over winning at all costs.
Wait a minute... I've seen exactly these sorts of behaviors, and so many more like them, in multiple Lutheran Schools. And I've seen them mirrored in how students treat each other and the adults. Perfectly, at all times? Of course not. But in abundance nevertheless. Our schools may not have such a rule verbalized, but it's there. We can see it in action.
Maybe you can capture your own school's rule. Try to capture the phrase that you think nails it for your school, and submit it below in the comments. In that way you'll be sharing the wisdom of your experiences with many others, a means that makes all of us stronger and better in accomplishing our shared mission!
- Child drops their ice cream cone. Employee grabs them a new one, gratis.
- Child has an "accident," soils their clothing. Employee replaces their attire.
- Child loses a souvenir (those "ears," perhaps?). Employee gives them another.
The point is that Disney boldly proclaims themselves the "Happiest Place on Earth." Sad children do not fit with that declaration. Employees are empowered and encouraged to maintain and spread the happiness!
What rule do we have at our Lutheran Schools? We know our primary motivation (our Savior), but how does it show through a rule we all can embrace. What principle at your school empowers your entire staff to go to extraordinary measures to address need? Perhaps one of these might be applicable:
- No unwanted children.
- No one without a friend.
- Kindness for all.
- That "Lutheran School family" thing? We mean it!
I'm not sure what rings the most true for you, but I like to envision what happens because of such a rule.
• A teacher spends all of recess talking with four girls who are having "drama", who really need to talk it out, despite that it costs the teacher their own break time.
• An administrative assistant draws little pictures on bandaids, bringing the beauty of butterflies to the sadness of the boo-boo.
• A coach encourages and models cheering for teammates and having fun being part of the team over winning at all costs.
Wait a minute... I've seen exactly these sorts of behaviors, and so many more like them, in multiple Lutheran Schools. And I've seen them mirrored in how students treat each other and the adults. Perfectly, at all times? Of course not. But in abundance nevertheless. Our schools may not have such a rule verbalized, but it's there. We can see it in action.
Maybe you can capture your own school's rule. Try to capture the phrase that you think nails it for your school, and submit it below in the comments. In that way you'll be sharing the wisdom of your experiences with many others, a means that makes all of us stronger and better in accomplishing our shared mission!