What is TALLIS CHARACTER?
At Tallis we believe that who we are and how we treat each other is an essential part of preparing for a happy and successful future, as well as achieving our best and flourishing now. As a community we agreed on five core character traits which make us ‘Tallis’. We therefore strive to be: KIND, HONEST, FAIR, RESPECTFUL & OPTIMISTIC.
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What is kindness?Being caring and compassionate. Simply put, it means be nice to people. Other words for kindness are: caring sympathetic, empathic, friendly, supportive, considerate, helpful.
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What is honesty?Truthfulness. Simply put, it means to do what is right. Other words for honesty are: ethical, morally upright, truthful, frank, having integrity.
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What is fairness?Doing something in an honest and evenhanded way. Simply put, it means being just. Other words for fairness are: impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced, caring about equality, justice.
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What is respect?Thinking and acting in a way that shows others that you care about their feelings and their wellbeing. Simply put, it means everyone counts. Other words for respect are: esteem, tolerance, appreciation, consideration, courtesy, honour, recognition.
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What is optimism?Being hopeful about the future. Optimism means believing that positive results are likely. Simply put, it means to be positive. Other words for optimism are cheerful, confident, hopeful, assured, positive, upbeat, encouraged.
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What is Character Education?
Tallis Character is about helping young people to become thinking and caring people who can flourish throughout their lives. A concerted effort to help the members of our school community to live by the values outlined in our character traits will not only strengthen the Tallis Community, by placing a focus on how we treat others, but will also contribute to the overall success of our students.
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HOW WE PROMOTE THE CHARACTER TRAITS:
This Handy Guide for teachers contains plenty of practical advice:
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The vocabulary of character: Affirmation & Correction
The way that we talk with students, praise and give feedback can all have an impact on how they understand and get to know the character traits. There are times when the use of the traits should be recognised (Affirmation) and time when a student’s behaviour will need to addressed (Correction).
TALLIS CHARACTER GRAPHIC IDENTITY
The Tallis Character graphic identity was designed by Gilles & Cecilie Studio with whom we have collaborated on several previous projects. The designs have emerged from a detailed consultation process with students, teachers, parents and carers. Several design workshops helped us to discuss how best to capture the spirit of Tallis Character. Gilles & Cecilie took all of our thoughts and scribbles and crafted a beautiful set of designs on the theme: BUILD YOUR CHARACTER. Their work was inspired by a combination of paper cuts, Mid Century and Japanese graphics.
One way in which we can promote a better understanding of Tallis Character is by incorporating the graphics into our teaching materials.
Here is a folder of graphics, in a variety of formats, for us to download and use:
| Tallis Character graphic identity files.zip |
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There are 3 Community Days each year during which time the whole community spends time considering issues related to character education. In addition to these dedicated days there have been several meetings with a variety of stakeholders to ensure that we have collectively identified a set of character traits which truly represent our values at Thomas Tallis School.
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