We believe    All children have the right to feel good about themselves and it is the responsibility of all teachers to nurture the child's self-esteem.

We believe    That all our educational and guidance decisions for children must be based on our knowledge of child development, while promoting skills for self-help, problem solving, and negotiation.

We believe    Each person is a unique individual and has his or her own needs. Each person has a right to meet this need in his or her own way and in his or her own time, while learning to be respectful the rights of others.

We believe    Everyone is entitled to feelings, "positive" and "negative.” It is important for people to understand these rather than deny them.

We believe    In appreciating and supporting the close ties between the child and family, children are best understood in the context of their unique family of origin and culture.

We believe    Creativity and curiosity are self-expressions of individuality and should be encouraged.

We believe    In helping children and adults achieve their full potential in the contexts of relationships that are based on trust, respect, and positive regard.

We believe    Each child and family is due the respect for personal privacy demonstrated by professional ethics.

We believe    All children learn best through authentic experiences that lead to competent social behaviors. All children must make mistakes in order to learn what is acceptable.

We believe    That all children and adults in their lives deserve the opportunity to practice these principles at all levels of personal development.

We believe    In modeling behavior that is culturally respectful of all family practices and beliefs.