The Character Issue

“SLO Classical Academy is a community that forges character, fosters wisdom, and nurtures a lifelong passion for learning.”

That is SLOCA’s mission statement. And an essential part of it is to be a community that forges character. As a result, nurturing strong character traits in our students is something that SLOCA takes seriously and highly values.

“What is character? Character is the possession of moral qualities that have become habits of life.” -Susan Wise Bauer, The Well-Trained Mind

As a school, we emphasize a character trait each month of the school year. Correspondingly, you will find these traits highlighted in classroom discussions through great literature and various subjects. Parents also received, in our orientation packets, the list of monthly character traits to help inspire these virtues at home. This month’s character trait is: Responsibility. And our catch-phrase: Think before you act; finish what you begin; take responsibility for yourself. 

“Becoming a responsible human being is a path filled with potholes and visited constantly by temptations. Children need guidance and moral road maps, and they benefit immensely with the examples of adults who speak truthfully and act from moral strength.” -Vigen Guroian, Tending the Heart of Virtue

Here at Downhome we hope to be another source of encouragement for you as we impart, instill and influence these moral strengths into our students. This year, we will feature the beautiful work of one of SLOCA’s alumnis. Sabina Zink, who graduated high school last year, illustrated each of SLOCA’s character traits for part of her senior project – a culmination of her exquisite artistry coupled with eloquently  written thoughts. I highly encourage you to read about her project here where she even included a time-lapse video of the process. Thank you, Sabina, for sharing your work with our community!