Reflections from the Middle School Honor Code Assembly

MICDS Middle School kicks off the new academic year with the annual Honor Code Assembly, a time-honored tradition that reminds students of the School’s core values and reinforces a community built on honor, trust, respect, and responsibility. This year, in addition to remarks from Head of Middle School Jen Schuckman, two student speakers and one faculty speaker addressed the audience. Their remarks are below. Read Mrs. Schuckman’s remarks here.

Addie R. ’31, co-recipient of the 2026 Jan DeGreef Jacobi Award

Hi MICDS Middle School. My name is Addie R., and I will be talking about two out of four components of our Honor Code. Responsibility and honor are both very important parts of our Honor Code. They help keep our school clean, friendly, and professional. Honor makes sure that we stay accountable for our actions. Whether that be picking up trash, keeping classrooms clean, etc. Honor can also be honoring others. Maybe you can help a classmate with their schoolwork. Or include someone in an activity.

Responsibility is one of the most important things to have through school. It makes sure that you do your homework and have good time management (which I have found is very hard but helpful). It also helps keep others safe. Like not running in the halls, or keeping track of everything during a science lab. I remember a few years ago, when I had a lot of homework to do when I got home, but I just wanted a while to relax. So I sat down for a few minutes and pulled out my phone. Next thing you know, it was 8 p.m., I had hours and hours of homework to do, but I just completely lost track of time. I was up until at least 11 p.m. that night doing homework, until I finally went to sleep and had to tell my teachers the next day that my homework wasn’t done. It’s important that we start practicing these things and follow the honor code, especially in middle school, because the things that you do in these four years will become habits for high school. If you don’t study until the night before the test, because “It’s just middle school, it doesn’t count”, well then that becomes something that you do in high school, which will not help your grades. But if you manage your time wisely, with sports, after-school activities, and homework, then you will have solid habits that will stay with you through high school and help you out.

Honor and Responsibility are so important in our Honor Code, and I hope that you all learn from your mistakes because you will have many, and remember not to put too much pressure on yourself, but middle school is important. I hope you all have a great day, and Go Rams.

Evan S. ’31, co-recipient of the 2026 Jan DeGreef Jacobi Award

Hello, my name is Evan Smith. Today I want to talk to you about two important parts of the MICDS Honor Code: trust and respect. I think these two go together, because it is hard to have one without the other.

Trust and respect are in our Honor Code because they make school a place where everyone can feel safe. Respect makes people feel like they belong here. Trust means students and teachers know they can depend on each other. When you have both, school feels like a community instead of just a building.

There are a lot of small ways students can show respect here. You can listen when teachers are talking instead of talking over them. You can make eye contact when someone is speaking to you, so they know you are paying attention. And you can help one another, even with little things. Respect is not one big moment. It is a bunch of small choices you make all day.

Trust guides me through school by reminding me that I can count on my friends, and that they can count on me. When you trust the people around you, you are not afraid to ask for help.

I learned when I got hurt, and for a while I could not carry my own bag. A friend carried it for me. It was a small thing, but it made a hard time a lot easier. It taught me that trust is not about big promises. It is about knowing someone will be there when you actually need them.

So that is why trust and respect are in our Honor Code. Every day, each of us decides whether we are someone people can count on. If we all make that choice, MICDS stays a place where nobody has to carry things alone.

Cameron Youngman, Middle School Math Teacher & JV Football Coach

I’m Mr. Youngman, seventh grade math teacher, advisor, and upper school football coach. Earlier this week I told Mrs. Schuckman about something I witnessed in the upper school cafeteria, and she asked me if I would share it today.

Every once in a while I try to slip away to the upper school cafeteria for ice cream. Not only am I a big fan of ice cream, but going up there allows me to check in on our football players and have a quick chat with them about how they’re doing. While I was up there this week, I noticed one of our players was sitting by himself. He’s new to the school this year as a ninth grader and recently moved here from Texas. As I was leaving, another football player, Marlowe, was walking in, and I stopped him and asked if he would sit next to his teammate to make sure he wasn’t alone, and he was more than happy to do that.

That’s not the cool part of this story though. I was there with Mrs. Caulfield, and before we left, she wanted to talk with some of her soccer players, so we walked over to them. At the same time, Marlowe was heading to get in line for his food and sit next to his teammate. Before Marlowe got through the line, a different group of eight boys got up from the table they were sitting at and went to sit by the young man who was by himself. They were not asked to move; they simply saw a moment to be good people and took advantage of it. That is respect and responsibility in action.

Those eight boys took time to make sure their classmate felt respected and took responsibility for helping a new classmate feel welcome. At times throughout this school year, you’ll be called on to adhere to the honor code for various reasons, and it might feel uncomfortable, forced, or incredibly rewarding. Regardless of how you feel, remember this story about those eight boys and what they did for that young man, and know they had those same feelings when they were in middle school. The next time you see someone sitting alone, or a moment to do the right thing — take it. That’s what MICDS looks like at its best.