SDS stresses importance of honor and integrity
Posted September 28, 2010
Trust provides the foundation on which the SDS community is built. It is trust that makes for the authentic academic and social experiences that students at SDS enjoy.
There are no locks on student lockers, for example. Students have considerable freedom to move around the school. Student assessments are often completed away from the direct supervision of teachers. Every member of the student body feels their possessions are safe.
And central to this atmosphere of trust is the fact Spartanburg Day School has an honor code - a written, public set of expectations centered on academic integrity and community interactions. It is this honor code that holds student accountable to the community and peers.
Last week - in what will become an annual ceremony - members of the upper school signed a pledge to not lie, steal or cheat. They promised to respect every member of the community. Every upper school student signed. The signatures will be displayed in a public place to remind everyone of their promise and will also become another thing that links present and past griffins.
To commemorate this ceremony, Wofford College president, Benjamin Dunlap, addressed the upper school. Dunlap spoke about the importance of focusing beyond the “prize” of achievement and stressed that how prizes, grades and trophies are won is more reflective of a person, community or institution than those things themselves.
In an age where competition for college places, scholarships, prizes and athletic awards is fierce, the focus on integrity - doing what is right even when nobody is looking - remains an integral part of the Day School experience.
