Last school year, Kindergarten Teacher Mieke Delwiche
and First Grade Teacher Elyse Atkinson hatched a new
program to bring character education to the forefront of
Laguna Blanca’s Lower School curriculum. Named Swooper
Citizens—a cross between Laguna’s owl mascot, Swoop,
and the “super” character traits the program aims to build—
the weekly class allows the school’s youngest students to
explore big topics like honesty, fairness, and compassion first-
hand through hands-on learning, self-expression, and fun.
“Swooper Citizens allows us to bring Laguna values front and
center in a tangible way,” Mieke says. “At Open Houses I often
find myself spending half the time talking about academics, and
the other half talking about real life—community, citizenship,
and caring. It felt like it was time to make character education an
official part of our curriculum here at the Lower School.”
The class complements weekly student discussions led by
Head of Lower School Andy Surber, offering kindergartners and
first graders the chance to discuss and practice a certain trait in
further depth every week. Before launching the program, Mieke
and Elyse reviewed a list of 80 different character traits before
selecting the ones they felt to be most important for a Laguna
student. Each month, they review four or five traits that relate to
an overarching theme. In a month focused on responsibility, for
instance, students review traits like determination, diligence, and
perseverance.
“This is the perfect age to start a character development
project,” Elyse says. “These are the traits that make a good citizen.
And good citizens are who we want as students here at Laguna.”
According to Mieke, humor, problem-solving, and hands-on
learning play a large role in helping students grasp the values for
the long haul. During a focus on patience, for instance, students
were each given one marshmallow at the start of class and
informed that they would receive a second marshmallow only if
they could exercise the patience to wait to eat the marshmallow
on their desks. Students were allowed to make the decision—and
learn the consequences. Some students walked away with just one
marshmallow at the end of the lesson.
In addition to classroom activities, students also undertook
service learning projects that aligned with their monthly themes.
Projects included participating in the all-school beach clean-up,
visiting Harbor Patrol, partnering with Angels Bearing Gifts,
and visiting a retirement community to further instill the values
learned in class.
Knowing
2+2=4 is
important.
So is being
kind. These
are the traits
our students
will live by their
entire lives.
LAGUNABLANCA.ORG 7
136982_LagunaBlanca_FallMagazine2016_ProofFINAL_v2.indd 7
9/20/16 9:48 AM