Bedford Village Morning School

It is important that every child develop a trust in his/her teachers and others in the early stages of his/her school life. He/she must be able to feel free to express himself/herself verbally. He/she must be able to feel free to cry, to be afraid, to enjoy and to fail without loss of self-respect or loss of acceptance as a person. If he/she is allowed to develop this sense of trust, a sense of autonomy will evolve. As a child feels safe, and is aware of himself/herself as a human being, he/she feels comfortable enough to develop initiative, to test, to explore, to imagine and to accomplish. Children need success in their experiences in order to build confidence and give them faith in themselves and their daily ability to move ahead with new tasks. Successful experiences are vital in building a positive self-esteem. School is a testing ground for children to learn about relationships, sharing, taking turns, and cooperating. It is here that he/she begins to learn to value and defend his/her rights. It is here that he/she begins to learn that life is filled with choices and that with those choices come responsibilities and consequences. Here, he/she will begin to understand his/her own feelings and to appreciate the feelings of others.