Clean Slate — Every school year students are confronted with a choice. Will it be a year like the last, or can they learn from past mistakes and make it even better? What will they choose to write on their clean slate?
Key Ideas: Learning from past mistakes - Starting with a clean slate
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility

Dealing with Change — With a new school year comes many changes, and while some change can be fun, too much change can be difficult for some students. These materials help young people consider how they deal with change and why it's important to ask for help when too much change becomes difficult.
Key Ideas: Resiliency - Seeking Help When Change is Difficult
Character Traits: Perseverance - Positive Attitude

Getting to Come to School — Democracies are made strong by educated, responsible, and caring citizens. Some would say that a democracy cannot survive without citizens who are capable of making informed and wise choices. This is an opportunity for students to consider the benefits of a free and public education and how their education can impact our common future.
Key Ideas: Citizenship - The Importance of Educated Citizens in a Democratic Society
Character Trait: Responsibility

Getting to Know You — Students examine common feelings on the first day of school and how building a classroom community helps to cope with those feelings.
Key Ideas: New School Year - Getting to Know Each Other
Character Traits: Respect - Caring - Citizenship

Going Back to the Future — It's been said that remembering the past gives power to the present. Students have the opportunity to reflect on both the mistakes and the successes of the past school year so they can learn from these experiences and be empowered to set new goals for the upcoming school year.
Key Ideas: Learning from Past Mistakes - Reflection and Learning
Character Traits: Responsibility - Wisdom

The Olympics: Overcoming Obstacles — No Olympic athlete has worked harder to get to the Olympics than those who compete in the Paralympics for disabled athletes. One such athlete is Ralph Green. Ralph has a story that will inspire both you and your students.
Key Ideas: Olympics - Turning obstacles into opportunities - Focusing on goals
Character Traits: Respect - Responsibility - Perseverance - Dedication - Strong Work Ethic

Playing by the Rules — It's a new school year and it's time to talk about the rules. Rules help us maintain order, fairness, and safety. Most rules are established for an excellent reason and are intended to benefit the whole community. Students explore the rationale for rules, responsible ways to challenge rules, and the need to follow rules as responsible members of society.
Key Ideas: Rationale for rules - Following rules for the benefit of self and others - Golden Rule
Character Traits: Responsibility - Citizenship

Sleepy Heads — It's been said that without sleep we all become tall two-year-olds. How does sleep impact our performance? ... how we treat others? What is our personal responsibility when it comes to getting enough sleep?
Key Idea: The importance of getting enough sleep
Character Traits: Responsibility - Self-Respect - Self-Management

Strength of Habit: Beginning of the School Year — Aristotle once said "The habits we form from childhood make no small difference, but rather make all the difference." Students explore the idea that it is easier to form positive habits now than to break bad habits, and that our habits shape our character and our character determines the outcome of our lives.
Key Ideas: Creating good habits - Habits help form our character
Character Traits: Self-Respect - Self-Responsibility - Citizenship