Guiding Precepts

Everyday we are faced with personal choices. These choices have an effect on who we are, who we will become, our relationships, and our place in society. The values with which we approach these choices make a difference. The Bay School is committed to fostering a culture of ethics to help our students clarify their own values. We use these guiding precepts as a primary tool in that development.

We aspire to live by these guiding precepts and to build our community life on them.

We value living with kindness and honesty; we are careful truth tellers.

We value the importance of boundaries; we take only what is given.

We value respecting ourselves and our friends in relationship; we don’t misuse sexuality.

We value a clear mind and a healthy, strong body; we don’t intoxicate ourselves with alcohol, drugs, unhealthy food, or the misuse of technology.

We value kind speech; we don’t slander or gossip.

We value the richness of difference and diversity; we don’t praise ourselves at the expense of another; we don’t bully or haze.

We value communication; we don’t harbor anger or ill will, especially toward ourselves.

We value generosity; we share, giving and receiving help.

We value patience with ourselves and others; we don’t rush to judgment.

We value the earth, our home; we don’t pollute, we recycle and we are careful, conscious consumers.

We care about our growth and maturity. We want our school to be a safe, kind and respectful environment, a place where we can make mistakes, learn from them and grow. We join with the entire Bay School community in committing ourselves to be mindful of these precepts in our daily lives, in our choices, and in our relationships.