I’ve been going to camp Merrimack since the summer after third grade it’s like a
the summer after third grade it’s like a
the summer after third grade it’s like a second home to me the scenery is amazing
second home to me the scenery is amazing
second home to me the scenery is amazing it’s round by these gorgeous towering
it’s round by these gorgeous towering
it’s round by these gorgeous towering mountains that always have a bit of mist
mountains that always have a bit of mist
mountains that always have a bit of mist around them like a halo there’s a small
around them like a halo there’s a small
around them like a halo there’s a small creek that runs through the whole place
creek that runs through the whole place
creek that runs through the whole place leading into good old Lake doors where
leading into good old Lake doors where
leading into good old Lake doors where you can swim and canoe in her cool
you can swim and canoe in her cool
you can swim and canoe in her cool waters some nights if we’re lucky we may
waters some nights if we’re lucky we may
waters some nights if we’re lucky we may sleep the highest point on camp for a
sleep the highest point on camp for a
sleep the highest point on camp for a night and gaze with all the stars we
night and gaze with all the stars we
night and gaze with all the stars we can’t see from home camp is a wonderful
can’t see from home camp is a wonderful
can’t see from home camp is a wonderful experience if you’ve ever been to summer
experience if you’ve ever been to summer
experience if you’ve ever been to summer camp you know exactly what I’m talking
camp you know exactly what I’m talking
camp you know exactly what I’m talking about
about
about but one thing that’s interesting is it
but one thing that’s interesting is it
but one thing that’s interesting is it can be terribly intimidating with what
can be terribly intimidating with what
can be terribly intimidating with what packing twenty teenage girls into a
packing twenty teenage girls into a
packing twenty teenage girls into a small living space with limited
small living space with limited
small living space with limited supervision I mean nothing could go
supervision I mean nothing could go
supervision I mean nothing could go wrong right but I found that every year
wrong right but I found that every year
wrong right but I found that every year I go I meet the most amazing people in
I go I meet the most amazing people in
I go I meet the most amazing people in the whole cabin just becomes one big
the whole cabin just becomes one big
the whole cabin just becomes one big extended family one day last summer we
extended family one day last summer we
extended family one day last summer we were all sitting around braiding hair
were all sitting around braiding hair
were all sitting around braiding hair telling stories all that good stuff when
telling stories all that good stuff when
telling stories all that good stuff when one girl said what if we all went to a
one girl said what if we all went to a
one girl said what if we all went to a Merrimack boarding school we started to
Merrimack boarding school we started to
Merrimack boarding school we started to entertain the thought and another girl
entertain the thought and another girl
entertain the thought and another girl said we’d probably all hate each other
said we’d probably all hate each other
said we’d probably all hate each other eventually and then I started to wonder
eventually and then I started to wonder
eventually and then I started to wonder why would this group of girls be friends
why would this group of girls be friends
why would this group of girls be friends here but not at school as a result of
here but not at school as a result of
here but not at school as a result of going to camp I’ve learned many values
going to camp I’ve learned many values
going to camp I’ve learned many values such as kindness courage and compassion
such as kindness courage and compassion
such as kindness courage and compassion I’ve also learned how to get along with
I’ve also learned how to get along with
I’ve also learned how to get along with all types of different people these are
all types of different people these are
all types of different people these are life skills and values that will stay
life skills and values that will stay
life skills and values that will stay with me forever and I fully believe that
with me forever and I fully believe that
with me forever and I fully believe that after every four weeks at camp I’ll come
after every four weeks at camp I’ll come
after every four weeks at camp I’ll come back a much better person but what I
back a much better person but what I
back a much better person but what I didn’t understand was why I wasn’t
didn’t understand was why I wasn’t
didn’t understand was why I wasn’t giving these values in this character
giving these values in this character
giving these values in this character each environment at school I realized
each environment at school I realized
each environment at school I realized that there’s a pretty big difference
that there’s a pretty big difference
that there’s a pretty big difference between camp and school because schools
between camp and school because schools
between camp and school because schools focus on teaching content while camps
focus on teaching content while camps
focus on teaching content while camps teach character current school
teach character current school
teach character current school curriculum is aimed at educating the
curriculum is aimed at educating the
curriculum is aimed at educating the public so that they can become
public so that they can become
public so that they can become productive and well-functioning
productive and well-functioning
productive and well-functioning professionals according to our school’s
professionals according to our school’s
professionals according to our school’s mission statement the purpose of
mission statement the purpose of
mission statement the purpose of Mountain Brook schools
Mountain Brook schools
Mountain Brook schools is to provide an effective challenging
is to provide an effective challenging
is to provide an effective challenging and engaging education for every one of
and engaging education for every one of
and engaging education for every one of our students notice how the word
our students notice how the word
our students notice how the word education is used not schooling while
education is used not schooling while
education is used not schooling while these are two similar terms they are
these are two similar terms they are
these are two similar terms they are often misused schooling is a culmination
often misused schooling is a culmination
often misused schooling is a culmination of knowledge and information but
of knowledge and information but
of knowledge and information but education is deeper and it’s Richard it
education is deeper and it’s Richard it
education is deeper and it’s Richard it includes knowledge but also life skills
includes knowledge but also life skills
includes knowledge but also life skills application and personal growth like
application and personal growth like
application and personal growth like what I was learning at camp I think of
what I was learning at camp I think of
what I was learning at camp I think of schooling as developing students on
schooling as developing students on
schooling as developing students on education develops people in other words
education develops people in other words
education develops people in other words with a good schooling you can learn to
with a good schooling you can learn to
with a good schooling you can learn to read or to write or to solve algebraic
read or to write or to solve algebraic
read or to write or to solve algebraic equations well with a good education you
equations well with a good education you
equations well with a good education you can use your schooling and apply it to
can use your schooling and apply it to
can use your schooling and apply it to the real world
the real world
the real world with this in mind I think our education
with this in mind I think our education
with this in mind I think our education system should foster character building
system should foster character building
system should foster character building and ethics as well as intellectual
and ethics as well as intellectual
and ethics as well as intellectual growth think about it middle school in
growth think about it middle school in
growth think about it middle school in high school is the perfect opportunity
high school is the perfect opportunity
high school is the perfect opportunity to teach this sort of thing because
to teach this sort of thing because
to teach this sort of thing because psychologically is one of the most vital
psychologically is one of the most vital
psychologically is one of the most vital and dynamic times of ethical development
and dynamic times of ethical development
and dynamic times of ethical development during middle and high school kids are
during middle and high school kids are
during middle and high school kids are at risk in the development of their
at risk in the development of their
at risk in the development of their moral and ethical choices and behaviors
moral and ethical choices and behaviors
moral and ethical choices and behaviors meaning that their sense of morality can
meaning that their sense of morality can
meaning that their sense of morality can be easily negatively influenced leading
be easily negatively influenced leading
be easily negatively influenced leading to poor choices
to poor choices
to poor choices currently the responsibility of teaching
currently the responsibility of teaching
currently the responsibility of teaching kids ethics and strong character lies
kids ethics and strong character lies
kids ethics and strong character lies with parents coaches or youth ministers
with parents coaches or youth ministers
with parents coaches or youth ministers but for half the day while these kids
but for half the day while these kids
but for half the day while these kids are at school they’re missing out on
are at school they’re missing out on
are at school they’re missing out on character as a vital part of their
character as a vital part of their
character as a vital part of their education the effects of this lack of
education the effects of this lack of
education the effects of this lack of ethical education can be immediately
ethical education can be immediately
ethical education can be immediately seen in the form of high rates of
seen in the form of high rates of
seen in the form of high rates of bullying in academic dishonesty which
bullying in academic dishonesty which
bullying in academic dishonesty which are counterproductive to the efforts of
are counterproductive to the efforts of
are counterproductive to the efforts of school students must feel safe and
school students must feel safe and
school students must feel safe and comfortable in their environment in
comfortable in their environment in
comfortable in their environment in order to learn effectively and character
order to learn effectively and character
order to learn effectively and character education can help to create this I
education can help to create this I
education can help to create this I think the first step students can take
think the first step students can take
think the first step students can take towards this welcoming climate is to
towards this welcoming climate is to
towards this welcoming climate is to prioritize a list of values that are
prioritize a list of values that are
prioritize a list of values that are important to them and then use this list
important to them and then use this list
important to them and then use this list to formulate an honor code this way
to formulate an honor code this way
to formulate an honor code this way students have an active part in making
students have an active part in making
students have an active part in making the code which makes them more involved
the code which makes them more involved
the code which makes them more involved other school and open to character
other school and open to character
other school and open to character education students could
education students could
education students could dictate consequences for our code
dictate consequences for our code
dictate consequences for our code violations also this allows schools to
violations also this allows schools to
violations also this allows schools to set a high standard of character for the
set a high standard of character for the
set a high standard of character for the students so that kids strive to be the
students so that kids strive to be the
students so that kids strive to be the best they can be
best they can be
best they can be this way schools can teach kids ethics
this way schools can teach kids ethics
this way schools can teach kids ethics even if their home lives are unstable or
even if their home lives are unstable or
even if their home lives are unstable or if they’re not held to a high standard
if they’re not held to a high standard
if they’re not held to a high standard of character outside of school also
of character outside of school also
of character outside of school also ethical decision-making skills can and
ethical decision-making skills can and
ethical decision-making skills can and should be implemented but without a
should be implemented but without a
should be implemented but without a separate program or more assignments
separate program or more assignments
separate program or more assignments instead the way certain topic is taught
instead the way certain topic is taught
instead the way certain topic is taught can be changed to fit ethical to limits
can be changed to fit ethical to limits
can be changed to fit ethical to limits for example take a traditionally tried
for example take a traditionally tried
for example take a traditionally tried topic adding questions about morals or
topic adding questions about morals or
topic adding questions about morals or ethical discussions and the topic
ethical discussions and the topic
ethical discussions and the topic becomes much more interesting to
becomes much more interesting to
becomes much more interesting to students in fact one teacher noted that
students in fact one teacher noted that
students in fact one teacher noted that the kids were more engaged they’ve been
the kids were more engaged they’ve been
the kids were more engaged they’ve been in weeks
in weeks
in weeks grappling with big questions about
grappling with big questions about
grappling with big questions about values characters and right versus wrong
values characters and right versus wrong
values characters and right versus wrong students crave this sort of ethical
students crave this sort of ethical
students crave this sort of ethical development because they start to
development because they start to
development because they start to develop their ethical decision-making
develop their ethical decision-making
develop their ethical decision-making skills and they begin to cope with
skills and they begin to cope with
skills and they begin to cope with questions that they are simply
questions that they are simply
questions that they are simply unprepared to deal with so by
unprepared to deal with so by
unprepared to deal with so by entertaining this desire for an engaging
entertaining this desire for an engaging
entertaining this desire for an engaging ethical experience teachers can
ethical experience teachers can
ethical experience teachers can introduce topics and new and exciting
introduce topics and new and exciting
introduce topics and new and exciting ways through character education schools
ways through character education schools
ways through character education schools can change the way students act learn
can change the way students act learn
can change the way students act learn and think about the world
and think about the world
and think about the world kids can become better more wholesome
kids can become better more wholesome
kids can become better more wholesome people think of a world where schools
people think of a world where schools
people think of a world where schools are safe places children go to learn and
are safe places children go to learn and
are safe places children go to learn and be the best they possibly can be within
be the best they possibly can be within
be the best they possibly can be within academics and in society these children
academics and in society these children
academics and in society these children today will become tomorrow’s adults and
today will become tomorrow’s adults and
today will become tomorrow’s adults and they will lead us into a grand future as
they will lead us into a grand future as
they will lead us into a grand future as JFK once said children are the world’s
JFK once said children are the world’s
JFK once said children are the world’s most valuable resource and it’s hope for
most valuable resource and it’s hope for
most valuable resource and it’s hope for the future thank you
the future thank you
the future thank you [Applause]
you
you [Applause]
”
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