The Essential 55 by Ron Clark

When responding to any adult, you must answer by saying "Yes ma’am" or "No sir." Just nodding your head or saying any other form of yes or no is not acceptable.

Make eye contact. When someone is speaking, keep your eyes on him or her at all times. If someone makes a comment, turn and face that person.
During discussions, respect other students’ comments, opinions, and ideas. When possible, make statements like, "I agree with John, and I also feel that…" or "I disagree with Sara. She made a good point, but I feel that…"

If you win or do well at something, do not brag. If you lose, do not show anger. Instead, say something like, "I really enjoyed the competition, and I look forward to playing you again". To show anger or sarcasm, such as "I wasn’t playing hard anyway. You really aren’t that good," shows weakness.

If you are asked a question in conversation, you should ask a question in return. It is only polite to show others that you are just as interested in them as they are in you.

Always say thank you when I give you something. If you do not say it within three seconds after receiving the item, I will take it back. There is no excuse for not showing appreciation.

When you are given something from someone, never insult that person by making negative comments about the gift or by insinuating that it wasn’t appreciated.

Surprise others by performing random acts of kindness. Go out of your way to do something surprisingly kind and generous for someone at least once a month.

Learn the names of other adults and greet them by saying things like, "Good morning, Mrs. Graham" or "Good afternoon Mr. Jones".

Do not save seats in the lunchroom. If someone wants to sit down, let him or her. Do not try to exclude anyone.

When we go on field trips, we will meet different people. When I introduce you to the people, make sure that you remember their names. Then, when we are leaving, make sure to shake their hands and thank them, mentioning their names as you do so.

If you approach a door and someone is following you, hold the door. If the door opens by pulling, pull it open, stand to the side, and allow the other person to pass through first, then you can walk through. If the door opens by pushing, hold the door after you pass through.

When you answer the phone at your house, you must do so in an appropriate manner. Say, "Hello, this is the Clark residence." Tell the person, "Hold on, please, and I’ll get him." Or "No I’m sorry, she’s not. Would you like to leave a message?"

Stand up for what you believe in. You shouldn’t take no for an answer if your heart and mind are leading you in a direction that you feel strongly about.

Be positive and enjoy life. Some things just aren’t worth getting upset over. Keep everything in perspective and focus on the good in your life.

Live so that you will never have regrets. If there is something you want to do, do it! Never let fear, doubt, or other obstacles stand in your way. If there is something you want, fight for it with all of your heart. If there is something you want to be, do whatever is necessary in order to live out that dream.

Accept that you are going to make mistakes. Learn from them and move on.

No matter what the circumstances, always be honest. Even if you have done something wrong, it is best to admit it to me, because I will respect that, and oftentimes I will forget any disciplinary measures because of your honesty.

Carpe diem. You only live today once, so don’t waste it. Life is made up of special moments, many of which happen when caution is thrown to the wind and people take action and seize the day