Building Character, Shaping Futures: Our TEAM Approach

At Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac School, we believe that who our students become is just as important as what they know. Academic excellence opens doors—but it’s character that helps our students walk confidently through them. That’s why character formation is at the heart of our mission, not just an added subject or occasional lesson.

We call it the TEAM Approach to developing character—and it guides everything we do:

Teach
We teach students that character counts. More than just following rules, our students are explicitly taught what virtues like honesty, perseverance, respect, sacrifice, responsibility, and courage look like in action. These aren’t just words—they’re habits we help students build every day.

Enforce & Encourage
Character is reinforced through clear expectations, consistent accountability, and meaningful recognition. We celebrate good choices and respond to missteps with firm, fair, and restorative consequences—always aimed at helping students grow into their best selves.

Advocate
From the classroom to the playground to after-school events, every adult on campus is a character coach. We use every opportunity to guide, cheer on, and challenge our students. Authentic, sincere reinforcement helps good behavior take root and become part of who they are.

Model
Children learn by watching. That’s why our faculty and staff strive to model the very virtues we teach—through our words, our tone, and our actions, even in stressful moments. Our example becomes part of their learning.

Core Character Components

In a world increasingly influenced by digital platforms and artificial intelligence, character is the human advantage. It can’t be programmed or downloaded—but it can be taught, encouraged, and lived.

This is more than just a program. It’s the legacy of the Educational Project of the Company of Mary, and it’s the soul of our school culture. Together with you, we’re forming not just smart students, but virtuous, grounded, and courageous young people who will make a meaningful difference in the world.