Honesty

Every month Willow Brook Students and Teachers will be joining together to delve more deeply into important character traits that shape our lives, not only as students, but as good friends, positive citizens, and of course, Hard Workers at all times! Please read through these monthly newsletters to explore and have your own discussions with your daughters and sons about these important life lessons.

This month we’re talking about Honesty! The dictionary defines it as: “fairness and straightforwardness of conduct; adherence to the facts.” The definition we are using in class is: Honesty: living truthfully in your words and actions and thoughts!

Honesty is more than just truth-telling! It is about living a life that is thoughtful and clear about what we believe is good and just. It’s about making sure that what we think is kind and worthwhile lines up with what we say and what we do. Over the course of the month, we will talk about people from Albert Einstein to Virginia Woolf who lived the idea of Honesty in inspiring ways. We will talk about the cost of lying and what it does to our body and mind. We will connect how Honesty and Kindness are closely related traits. It’s going to be a powerful time — truly!

Albert Einstein was a Jewish physicist. Einstein spoke up not only for the rights of Jewish people during World War II, but for the rights of black people as well. His Honesty made him a target for criticism and prejudice, but he continued to speak his truth and fight for equality.

Ask your child: What might it mean to be “careless with the truth”? How would you feel about someone being dishonest in seemingly small situations?

If someone is dishonest in small situations, how do you think they would behave in important matters? How is Honesty connected to trust?

How is trust connected to friendship?

Mother Teresa was an Albanian-Indian Roman Catholic nun and missionary. She was known for her extensive charity work particularly with the sick and dying. A controversial figure, Mother Teresa practiced Honesty by speaking her truth even when others disagreed with her.

Ask your child: What does transparency look like in action? How do Honesty and transparency make us vulnerable?

How does it feel to be vulnerable to others? How do we feel when others are vulnerable with us? How can you practice vulnerability today?

Watch and discuss the classic story of The Boy Who Cried Wolf together as a family. Or, retell the story in your own words!

Then, when you feel tempted to not tell the truth, ask yourself, “Am I crying wolf?” and, if so, what’s a more honest choice for me to make right now?

The Honest Child: How To Teach Honesty by Mary VanClay

12 Tips For Raising Truthful Kids by Charity Ferriera

Turning Lies Into Lemonade: How to Encourage Honesty by Jessica Graham

Grades K-2

Eli’s Lie-O-Meter: A Story About Telling The Truth by Sandra Levins
Even though Eli knows the difference between pretending and real facts, he learns an important lesson of telling the truth and consequences for his fibs.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf by B.H. Hennessy
A retelling of the timeless fable, where a bored shepherd boy thinks “nothing ever happens here” and decides to cry that a wolf is after his sheep. People come to help but soon realize it was a trick.

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto
While Maria is making tamales with her mother, she tries on her mother’s beautiful diamond ring. Later she realizes the ring is missing and panics. Maria and her cousins come up with a plan to eat all the tamales to find it. Will Maria tell the truth about her mistake?

Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin
When Ruthie, who loves teeny tiny things, finds a teeny tiny camera on the playground, will she claim it as hers? What will happen when the camera’s real owner confronts her?

What James Said by Liz Rosenberg
What did James really say? And does the silent treatment work when there’s a misunderstanding among friends?

The Secret Olivia Told Me by N. Joy
Are secrets made to be kept or shared? What happens when a friend slips and shares the secret? More importantly, is there a secret about trustworthiness, friendship and Honesty that we can learn from this treasure?

Grades 3-5

The Empty Pot by Demi
In this classic, the King, who loved flowers, wants to find the successor to his throne, so he gives the children in his kingdom a seed to see who can grow the best flower. Ping, a young master gardener himself, thinks he’s got this, but try as he might, he can’t get his seed to grow. Will Ping end up winning?

The Lunch Thief by Anne C. Bromley
Is stealing ever okay? The Lunch Thief isn’t stealing just to be dishonest; he’s stealing out of hunger and homelessness. Expect this treasure to generate a tasty discussion.

Wolf! Wolf! by John Rocco
In this humorous version of Peter and the Wolf, a grumpy vegetarian wolf, too old to do anything but gardening, meets a young goat herder who calls “Wolf” and thinks it’s a call for him. Will the villagers believe that there really IS a wolf? Will the Wolf and the Boy end up becoming friends and/or pranking each other?

Touchdown Trouble by Fred Bowen
Sam’s football team is undefeated and wins the game by a touchdown. But later they watch a video of the game and realize it was scored illegally. Now Sam’s team is divided on what they should do, tell the truth and lose the game or keep quiet.

The Honest-to-Goodness Truth by Patricia C. McKissack
Libby feels like the whole world is mad at her ever since she started telling the truth. Throughout this story, students will sympathize with Libby as she figures out that there’s a right and a wrong way to tell the truth.

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume
To figure out who she really is, Sheila has to start by being honest with herself. It’s okay to be afraid of spiders, swimming, and dogs! What will it take for Shelia to admit to her friend Mouse Ellis and herself that she’s only human?

A Bike Like Sergio’s by Maribeth Boelts
When Rueben sees a dollar fall out of a stranger’s purse, he must make a decision about what to do. Watch as the story unfolds and Rueben’s decision suddenly gets even bigger! Will he be Honest?

For this activity you will use Tissue Boxes, cardboard bricks, or large wooden blocks built into the shape of a pyramid: 7 across the bottom, then 6, then 5, then 4, then 3, then 2, then one.

Tell students that this is A Wall Of Trust, and that each brick/block/box represents a truth that someone told, a time that someone practiced Honesty.

What might happen to their Wall of Trust if they tell a lie? Allow for 2-3 responses before gently knocking one brick out of the center of the Wall from behind, so that the Wall stays in tact but now has a hole in it.

Ask:

• What might we need to do to fix that hole?
• Will that be easy or difficult?

Then, another lie, maybe a promise broken or a playdate missed; this time it knocks three or more bricks/blocks/boxes out of place. Invite students to notice what happens to A Wall Of Trust when people are dishonest.

Ask:

• Why does it matter if the Wall Of Trust has holes in it?
• Why might the Wall Of Trust be harder to repair this time?
• What will it take to earn that trust back?
• How can we make sure our personal Wall Of Trust stays solid and strong?

*This activity is adapted from an idea by Peggy Adkins, National Character Counts! Faculty

Divide students into small groups. Give each group one of the scenarios below. Ask each group to work together to come up with a way to show how to solve the problem with Honesty. Allow each group to perform their scenario for the class. If there is extra time, ask students to come up with their own scenario to demonstrate being Honest.

• You are talking to your friend at recess and notice that they have food stuck in their teeth.
• Your friend asks you to come over and play, but you have already made plans with someone else.
• You notice that your best friend is cheating on their spelling test.
• You accidentally spilled fruit punch on the carpet at home.
• Your friend let you borrow a book and you lost it.
• You see $5 fall out of a classmate’s backpack.

Mr. Jason Nussbaum, School Principal

Mrs. Rachel Frazier, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Jo Bruce, Family Resource Director

Mr. Dan Schwartz, School Counselor

Email: dschwartz@ortn.edu
Website: https://www.ortn.edu/willowbrook/
Location: 298 Robertsville Road, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
Phone: 865 425 3201