Respect is treating others with fairness and kindness. These qualities are simply daily considerations that we show to others. When I think about what respect means to me, I think of the effort that you constantly have to put forth in order to make it happen. Respect is a deliberate action that everyone should work on every day in their lives.

Last year was my first year in middle school. I was transitioning from elementary school, and I was very nervous coming into a new environment with tons of unfamiliar faces. I found that the high level of respect that everyone treated each other with was significant in breaking the ice faster. Everybody was so nice and friendly; it put me at ease immediately. I'm happy to report I had a fantastic sixth-grade year. My principal and counselors did a great job at creating an atmosphere where being respectful was always a high priority. The staff at my school did a great job of leading by example when it came to implementing a culture of respect.

One of the ways they encouraged respect was by teaching us students to try to work out problems face to face rather than fighting or arguing. My school promotes a bully free zone so that students feel they're in a safe environment. We were taught to approach someone who is being a bully in a very kind manner and to stay calm while trying to talk out the problem. I feel that using communication is a great tool to discourage this type of behavior. The more that we students communicate and treat each other with respect the more likely incidents of bullying will decrease. 

Medical Lake Middle School also encourages us students to bring respect into our community. In NJHS (National Junior Honor Society) one of the activities that we do is community service. This promotes comradery between the students by having us engage in duties that focus on others. Teamwork is a major factor in having successful NJHS events. This is where respect comes in. Everybody has to respect each other so we can work together. 

Respect can be summed up by repeating the golden rule. Treat others how you would want them to treat you. One of the reasons I love Medical Lake is because I witness respectful behavior every day all around me. Respect is very important throughout the community and our school. Without mutual respect people couldn't work together to come up with amazing ideas that will one day further the generations to come. Respect is fairness and kindness toward other people. I hope that respect continues to flow through students and the people in the community.