True Blue Initiative

At Beck Elementary, we cultivate good character in each of our students, and in 2017, our campus was named a National School of Character by Character.org. Each year, we focus on what it means to be a "True Blue Beck Bulldog" by emphasizing the following positive traits:

True Blue Bulldogs are CURIOUS

I wonder about all sorts of things, every day.
I know that learning is an adventure, full of discovery.
I’m not afraid to ask questions; I know questions are just as important as answers.
I know that some questions have more than one right answer.
I know that questions often lead to more questions, and that’s okay.
I know that there are many different ways to learn.
I like to explore different ideas, and dig deep for answers.

“I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
– Albert Einstein

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
– Walt Disney

“I think, at a child’s birth, if a mother could ask a fairy godmother to endow it with the most useful gift, that gift should be curiosity.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt

“Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see…be curious.”
– Stephen Hawking

True Blue Bulldogs are SELF-DIRECTED

I accept and seek out new challenges.
I can be counted on, to dive into learning experiences.
I’m responsible enough to take on tough tasks.
I can be trusted, to work well by myself and with others.
I can design and create many useful things, by myself and with others.
I can invent solutions to many problems, by myself and with others.
I know that struggle is an important part of learning; I’m strong enough to persevere.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You’re on your own, and you know what you know. And you are the guy who’ll decide where to go.”
– Dr. Seuss

“Nothing will work unless you do.”
– Maya Angelou

“The time is always right to do what is right.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”
– Benjamin Franklin

True Blue Bulldogs are REFLECTIVE

I take time to think deeply about problems and solutions.
I take time to share my thinking, as I make new discoveries.
I seek and accept feedback, to get better at everything I do.
I share my ideas, to help others improve.
I consider my words actions, and how they might impact others.
I take time to really listen, whenever someone needs my help or my attention.

“You have to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.”
– Abraham Lincoln

“We all need people who will give us feedback. That’s how we improve.”
– Bill Gates

“I tried always to do better: saw always a little further. I tried to stretch myself.”
– Audrey Hepburn

“As you think, so shall you become.”
– Bruce Lee

True Blue Bulldogs are CREATIVE

I know that my imagination is powerful, and helps me learn.
I love to observe the world around me—it inspires new ideas.
I get excited about inventing new solutions to problems.
I’m not afraid to try and fail; the more I experiment, the more I learn.
I like to ask big questions, and chase down big answers.
I’m brave enough to take risks; I know discovery happens with courage.
I’m passionate about creating new things; I use my talents for good.

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
– Steve Jobs

“Every child is an artist; the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.”
– Pablo Picasso

“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”
– J.K. Rowling

“The only thing worse than being blind, is having sight but no vision.”
– Helen Keller

“Creativity is contagious, pass it on.”
– Albert Einstein

True Blue Bulldogs are CONNECTED

I know how to use what I already know to help me learn new things.
I like to take old ideas and use them in new ways.
I can dig deep to find connections between many different things.
I know that all learning is connected.
I love to learn from others.
I love to share what I’ve learned with others.
I’m good at working with others to meet new challenges.

“Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.”
– Bill Nye

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
– Helen Keller

“When you get, give. When you learn, teach.”
– Dr. Maya Angelou

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
– Isaac Newton

“Realize that everything connects to everything else.”
– Leonardo Da Vinci

True Blue Bulldogs are SELF-AWARE

I know my strengths, and how to use them for good.
I accept my weaknesses, but I always strive to improve.
I admit my mistakes, and I learn from each one.
I know when to use my voice, and when to use my ears.
I consider how my words and my actions affect the world around me.
I try to use good judgment, in all that I do.

“I think self-awareness is the probably the most important thing towards being a champion.”
–Billie Jean King

“If you have good thoughts, they will shine out of your face and like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.”
– Roald Dahl

“By taking time to stop and appreciate who you are and what you’ve achieved—and perhaps learned through a few mistakes, stumbles and losses—you actually can enhance everything about you. Self-acknowledgement and appreciation are what give you the insights and awareness to move forward toward higher goals and accomplishments.”
– Jack Canfield

“Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.”
– James Thurber