Working with others to achieve a certain goal can be very helpful. For me to successfully work with a work of people I have to know them enough for me to be comfortable. There are times where working with others is a disaster and I don’t get any thing accomplished, but that may be resulted because I didn’t know them enough or I just didn’t get along with them. I can get along with almost everyone but there are just some people that don’t put their part into it. When ever there’s a goal waiting to be achieved and takes team work, it is up to everyone in the group to work together and not slack off. For example at any job you are expected to do your work and finish what was assigned for you to do. Working by your self is good some times to, but when ever I work with others I end up getting new experiences. I love getting new experiences of any type of work because if there is a next time to it I can always make it better. Working with others has its up and downs, you might get things done faster and better or end up with the complete opposite. But what ever the case is, working with others will only make your team work skills stronger.

To have a great community it must consist of trust, integrity, respect, and responsibility. The only way you could possibly even have a community is if everyone in it has the same basic goals and needs. A community is like a family outside a family. We all have similar aspects in what a family should be, and what the meaning behind family is.

Olde Columbine once was one of the greatest communities you could have ever seen. Every student has come from similar backgrounds which; had lead them to OCHS in the first place. Where, we all have the same goal of graduating and succeeding in life. Therefore we had made the school not just any community but a family in which it has been made easy to reach this goal.

If each and every person had trust, integrity, respect and were responsible you’d always find the best community. Life will always be an adventure traveling from one community to another. Yet, no matter where life shall lead you, just have those couple of things in mind and you could be the start of something great.

Creating a successful community consist on several things. One big thing that every community should have is rules and regulations to keep the community up and running. OCHS has a governance meeting once a week, a place where the ones in the community have a right to be heard and have a chance to speak. Having a gathering to talk about what is going on in the community is very important so everyone can get an idea of what is going on around them. Another thing a community should have is to host activities where everyone in the community is expected to put some part into it. That’s important so the community has each other close enough where things can get accomplished successfully. A community will always have people that care enough to volunteer to help the community, and others that just don’t care of what is going on. OCHS also has its “norms” that are expected to be fallowed by everyone. In a community it is great to have some thing similar to the “norms”. Those are certain rules that will jump in to help the community not fall apart.

Throughout life we all work with others whether we realize it or not. Like at a job you realize that you and coworkers, work together to get things done. Then at school each student kind of works alone at putting something into the school yet in the end it is a team of students and teachers work that has made it functional. Also back at home each and every person does their part and it makes not only a house but a home.

No matter what you shall be doing it fits into something else. It’s like a puzzle, you sit flipping and turning, mixing and matching pieces together. Once you are stuck and all out, you go to someone to see what they got to give and help. Eventually there will be a group of people sitting looking at the big picture saying I helped with that.

 Some of the hardest parts can be working with people you don’t get along with or giving and getting directions. Some like to be leaders and give the directions but have to learn to sit back and take some direction. Others like getting the directions but have to learn to step up to the plate; be a leader and give directions. Also there are always people that don’t get along but to get something done they have to suck it up and work together just to get the project done.

Sometimes a person just wants to give up; build walls and shut out the world. Even when one does that every move they make and lead to someone else doing something. When this happens others will work together to figure out why it has happened and what they can do to tear down the walls. As you can see, even if you are alone your actions lead to others.

All of this is just apart of living and making it through. People have to learn and challenge themselves. Also no one can ever take the easy way out and do the things they like and know they can do. At some point in their life they have to do the complete opposite. All in all, working together with others is all around us and part of life even if we do not recognize it.

Governance at Olde Columbine is a whole school meeting in which we have democracy. In fact governance is almost a better and more accurate democracy then America itself. What we vote on comes from the people for the people. When we vote everyone is equal and majority wins the vote. In America for certain things majority wins but with other things it has to be passed through different legislations and offices and then they get to decide. Therefore it’s not for the people by the people.

Everyone one, teachers and students are equal; if all the teachers don’t want something but the students do, the proposal gets passed into the handbook. Governance and its’ democracy is good for OCHS. If someone doesn’t care and doesn’t vote oh well it’s their choice. We believe in individuality, therefore with the democracy part people are able to care or not, to get upset, to invoke in some conversation about something, find out about something.

In America though; people are able to do all that but to only and extent. Lets look at it as if, legislation is the teachers and the citizens are the students. A vote took place, and majority said yes, so it get’s passed to legislation and they don’t think it’s the right thing at least not right now so it gets thrown out. America says it’s by the people for the people, yet it doesn’t feel like it.

As you can see America is mischievous in many ways. They go around certain things. Also they’ll make a law people want, but yet there is another law contradicting that law. At OCHS when they say it’s student lead, run and for the students they are not kidding. All rules are basically made by the students to help students, as long as they abide by state laws. All in all governance is an ideal democracy; granted it can get hectic but what would be democracy without that.

The Olde Columbine norms seem almost pointless. Not many students even know the norms. Also some don’t even know the meaning behind them. The norms are just common courtesy. If you truly think about this is all true. So really, how useful are they?

Most students that go to OCHS; if asked what are the six Olde Columbine norms? They’d probably say I don’t know same with the teachers. The meaning behind some of them aren’t clear; like embrace individuality does it mean be different/be your self, or accept some one no matter what. If you think about it the norms are just what happens to most people when the mature and grow up.

 Owning your actions you have to when you’re an adult. Helping and embracing individuality just happens. Kindness and consideration is something most people do anyway just to get through life. Honestly not many confront wrongdoers, it’s called the cops these days. Strive for knowledge if they want knowledge they will and if they don’t they wont its’ that simple.

After reading this put major thought into it. How much of what has been said true? How much of what has been said false? They are apart of what makes this school. They are great don’t get me wrong, but know one truly knows them or thinks about them when they go through their day. All in all there really are no norms, it’s just common day courtesy.

                                                     Norms                                                   Maritza Duran

           The norms at Olde Columbine High School are apart of every student and every staff member within Olde Columbine. Even though they were made years ago, they still are held up to expectations. Norms are what help our school not only to progress into better learning opportunities but to also strive to want to be apart of the OCHS community. I do believe that this school stands out then any other school that I have ever attended. The Olde Columbine norms help every student in their own way to feel comfortable and to reach their goal of getting a high school diploma. Without worry of being excluded, nor discriminated.

           The definition of norms is a standard, model or pattern of a general level or also known as average. For example two cars per family is the norm for most suburban communities. Starting off at Olde Columbine I thought it would be like every other school, but after a couple of days I soon comprehended that this school was nothing alike to all my old schools. At Olde Columbine students actually care about each other and don’t judge you for who you are, how you look or for who you hangout with. The Olde Columbine Community understands that we all come from different backgrounds and just because you’re different whether it be that you’re a punk, a geek, a nerd or one of the popular kids.

Some of the norms are to own your actions, accept the consequences. This norm teaches you to be responsible for what you do. Help when ever possible helps students and teachers know and feel comfortable to help some one in need. Embrace inviduality lets everyone feel comfortable to be themselves knowing that they do not have to be fearful of being ridiculed for being different. Practice kindness and consideration if some one you see is having a bad day try to help out or another example is smile and try to converse with everyone around you so that no one feels left out. Another norm is to teach to the norms tactfully and to confront wrongdoers this norm helps every one be informed of how Olde Columbine and its students like to be treated and how we as a school like things to go, also not to just point fingers at other peers if there is a problem handle the problem in a mature way were everyone will feel comfortable and safe. The last norm at Olde Columbine is to strive for knowledge, don’t be afraid to learn and gain new experiences.

           The Olde Columbine norms are very useful, they teach not just students but visitors and teachers many lessons that can be used in everyday life. The norms are very beneficial for not only the students but also for the teachers and the school in general. Our norms are what make us as a community stand out against disrespect and discrimination. The norms are what keep our school going helping students and teachers get along and learn not just from teachers but from other fellow students. Olde Columbine understands that we all come from different backgrounds and that we all have different history but instead of looking down at us for being different we are welcomed with warm smiles.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE NORMS

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Interview about Restorative Justice and Democracy at Olde Columbine

Music- Hear Me by DJ BLUE (DJBLUE)

Leadowers - I'm spending some time this summer thinking about the leadership class curriculum and I need your help.  I'd like to encourage you to change your settings on your posts in this community - please post publicly.  I certainly can't force you, but you're all very bright writers and I plan link this community to my blog.  That's where I'm developing my thinking about the class. I encourage you to engage my thoughts in the blog and help me develop the class. 

If you're reading this, call everyone you know who's been in leadership or thinks they might want to take it next year.  Spread the word.