Districtwide Lessons Launch the 2025–26 School Year with a Strong Start
Victoria ISD students began the 2025–26 school year by diving into what it means to be part of the VISD community through a weeklong focus on the 10 VISD Values: Excellence, Respect, Honesty, Perseverance, Gratitude, Responsibility, Courage, Integrity, Accountability, and Law Abidance & Civic Duty.
Throughout the first days of school, all VISD campuses are engaging students in daily lessons designed to explore these values and help students understand how to live them out in their classrooms, hallways, and beyond. Teachers are leading conversations and activities that reflect real-world situations, encourage personal reflection, and build a shared culture of positive behavior and strong character.
Campuses are integrating these lessons into their school culture through a five-day instructional series delivered by teachers each day. Each lesson includes a brief introduction to the core value, an engaging activity connected to the value, discussion prompts that encourage peer-to-peer dialogue, and a reflection component that allows students to consider personal growth in these areas. For example, during the lesson on law abidance and civic duty, elementary students read the story Pip the Penguin Finds His Calling. Afterward, students discussed Pip’s journey toward excellence, focusing on the importance of following rules and striving to do their best.
Following the initial five-day series, VISD students will continue their character development by studying one value in greater depth each month. These monthly lessons are developmentally appropriate and tailored to the age and grade level of the students, ensuring that the instruction is meaningful and relevant at every stage of learning.
To strengthen the school-to-home connection, parents will also receive Parent Connection Letters at the beginning of each month. These letters provide families with a summary of the value students are learning and offer practical ways to discuss and reinforce the values at home.
This districtwide initiative focuses on ensuring students develop the skills and dispositions needed to become productive and responsible citizens. The plan supports positive behaviors and character development while establishing a fair and consistent framework for addressing behavioral issues. It includes clear expectations and a zero-tolerance approach for specific behaviors that interfere with learning or safety.
By building a strong foundation of shared values from day one, VISD is reinforcing its commitment to a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students. These values aren't just lessons for the week—they are the foundation of how we learn, grow, and succeed together.
In VISD, Excellence Begins with Me, and that starts with how we treat ourselves and others every single day.
Interested in learning more about the 10 VISD Values and the Citizenship Ready Plan?
Visit https://www.visd.net/page/administration for more information.