New Values Program in the Middle School Reinforces Core Pillars

Introduced at the start of the 2024-25 school year, the Middle School Values Program offers tangible lessons and activities reinforcing character education for sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. The program is an extension of Severn’s core values, and the goal is to prompt students to delve further into the practical application of those foundational ideas – kindness, courage, inclusion – through games, discussions, and other engaging activities. This program is primarily integrated into the student day through advisory.

Each month, students focus on one value. Leigh Ann Orsen, Sixth Grade English Teacher and Advisory Coordinator, has taken the lead in developing this new program. Orsen will introduce each new value to the student body during a school meeting early in the month. Advisors then have numerous opportunities in the following weeks to engage students in thoughtful conversation and various activities related to that value.

As Orsen explained, "It's about centering the entire middle school around the same idea while also giving the students an opportunity to explore it in a way that feels comfortable.” That means that when she builds the toolkit for each month, Orsen will generally provide several options or prompts to advisors so they can approach the topic in the right way for their advisory. That monthly toolkit includes an introductory slideshow, journal prompts, and a long advisory activity that varies by value.

“The values program is meant to celebrate the conduct our students already exhibit and explicitly teach the values that might not yet be clear to them,” said Orsen. “By emphasizing core values and creating a culture that supports social and emotional growth, we hope to cultivate responsible, empathetic, and engaged citizens.”

Fittingly, the November theme is gratitude. For this, Orsen developed three gratitude-focused activities for a recent long advisory. Students could either write letters of gratitude, work together on an “unfortunately vs. fortunately” activity where the goal is to reframe negative thoughts into positive ones or hold an Appreciation Station. This station was similar to the letter-writing activity but used shorter notes of appreciation so that students could quickly write to each other or others in the building.

In October, students focused on the idea of respect. For this, students played Four Corners, Finish the Sentence, Pick-a-Card, or discussed respecting physical spaces and why that mattered. For the September value of Inclusion, the long advisory activity was to complete and discuss a graphic novel art piece, a project led by Library Director Whitney Etchison and Middle School Art Teacher Zachary Sea.

Another important component of the Values Program is how it integrates into the existing Student of the Month awards. While recognizing students monthly for small acts of kindness and helpfulness has long been a tradition, the Middle School faculty now highlight specific behaviors that align with each month’s value, bringing the program full circle.

“We believe this holistic approach, in conjunction with many other programs in Severn's Middle School, prepares students for the complexities of adolescence and lays the groundwork for their future success in life, both personally and academically,” said Orsen.
 

The entire schedule for the 2024-25 Values Program is: