This week Dr. Robin Dehlinger, school board chair of Seminole County Public Schools delivered the annual back to school district invocation. Her speech focused on the importance of PJI’s Principles for How We Treat Each Other, giving a chance for school leaders to plan to implement them. The Principles are proven to help create positive and welcoming school environments that support academic achievement, belonging, positive behavior, and safety.
Seminole County Public Schools is an “A” rated district, and ranked among the top in the State of Florida.
Read Robin’s bio here.
Read the Invocation
For the last few years, I have worked and studied with the Peace and Justice Institute. PJI’s mission is to build communities of respect, and they have developed what are called Principles for How We Treat One Another. There are 13 principles and a kid friendly version, as well. I would like to share a few of the principles this evening as we begin a new year and work to continue positive dialogue and respectful relationships throughout our community, with the students as our top priority.
- Create a hospitable and accountable community. Welcome others, be kind and assume others will be kind to you.
- Listen deeply and intently to what is said and strive to achieve a balance between listening and reflecting, speaking and acting.
- Practice asking honest and open questions. If you don’t understand something, just ask.
- Respect silence-when others begin to talk, let them finish and leave a moment of silence, showing them that you are listening.
- Suspend judgement and identify assumptions. Set aside your judgements and understand that our assumptions define our worldview. When we do this, we can open our viewpoints to greater possibilities.
- Speak your truth and turn to wonder when you disagree with someone. Ask yourself, I wonder why this person feels this way? Or I wonder what my reaction teaches me?
- Finally, all voices have value. Respect everyone’s ideas even if they are different from yours. Be curious and you may learn something new from the other person.
As we begin another school year, my prayer for all of us is that we can work together collaboratively, practice and model these principles, especially with our children, and remember that we are here to serve children and everything else is secondary to that mission and vision.
