Courtesy, consideration, and the ability to keep others comfortable in any circumstance are the cornerstone of nice manners. Mastered early in life, these skills help strengthen a child’s interactions and well-being while nurturing happy young citizens and healthy communities.
On January 29, Trevose Day School and Neshaminy Montessori were thrilled to have a visit from Lisa Richey, the renowned etiquette expert who founded the famous and fun Manners To Go program!
“Our world today is changing rapidly, and as casual as we have become in our lives, good manners are still essential,” says Ms. Richey, whose programs are regularly used by universities such as Temple and Drexel and have been featured in The New York Timesand on CBS's “Eye on Philadelphia.” “Technology has liberated us in so many ways, but teaching manners to children and teens remains crucial to our success as individuals and as a society.”
This engaging session included an introduction to the use of "magic words" please, thank you, you’re welcome, hello and good morning. The students then learned about the importance of eye contact, posture, respectful behavior, kind actions, how to shake hands and how to introduce others.
“It was nice because we learned manners and good posture,” says third grader Irina. “It was good to learn because it shows people that you are interested in what they are saying and doing,”
The wonderful experience concluded with a hands-on exercise in the art of writing thank-you notes.
Cultivating strong, compassionate youngsters who navigate the world with respect is an essential part of the culture at Trevose Day School and Neshaminy Montessori. In an earlier blog post about the power of compliments, we explored ways our classrooms encourage students to appreciate each other.
Our Head of School, Gwynne Frischmann, feels that at the heart of good manners is respect for oneself and for others. “When we treat students and adults with respect, they're much more likely to do the same to others,” says Frischmann. “Learning and reinforcing the importance of manners throughout the school is crucial to a positive and healthy school climate. Both students and teachers feel valued and appreciated by one another and this creates a respectful, happy and healthy environment.”
We look forward to many more community building events in the months to come!