This Month's Best Practice
Each Month the Maryland Center for Character Education (MCCE) picks one of the Best Practices from a Character Education award winning school to share with you.
APRIL
This month's Best Practices is from an award winning school from 2005-2006.
BEST CHARACTER EDUCATION PRACTICES
School: Fort Foote Elementary School
Address: 8300 Oxon Hill Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744
Contact: Sonia Beckford, Principal
Phone: 301-749-4230
E-Mail: Sonia.beckford@pgcps.org
Title of Best Practice: The Fort Foote Bears: A Community of Caring
Believing in Education And Reaching for Success!
Primary Character Trait(s) Emphasized: Respect, Responsibility, Family, Trust and Caring
Objective(s): To establish a school culture that promotes positive character traits and develops young people into responsible citizens.
Brief Description (including such items as materials needed, persons responsible, sequence of activities, observable results, references, etc.)
Fort Foote is located in Fort Washington, Maryland, a few miles south of Washington, D. C. Our educational program is based on a shared philosophy, mission, and vision, which are founded on the principles of child/adolescent growth and development including an emphasis of life skills with a multicultural focus. Through positive relationships among stakeholders, we work collaboratively to address academic, social, and emotional goals. One of our strengths at Fort Foote continues to be a comprehensive education program which embraces five core values: RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY, CARING, TRUST, and FAMILY. Our child-centered focus, in conjunction with our five core values and a strong discipline plan, work together to create a peaceful learning environment and to cultivate responsible citizens.
Specific Objectives:
School Counseling Program: Provides academic-based counseling services for students in the areas of personal/academic growth, career development, interpersonal skills, and offers small group and classroom counseling to incorporate the five core values. The Peer Mediation/Conflict Resolution program empowers older students to resolve problems in a positive manner.
School-Wide Discipline Plan: We believe it is important to recognize and commend students for their responsible behavior, and to identify expectations and consequences in order to maintain an environment that is conducive to learning.
Instruction: Our core values are taught throughout the day. Each quarter the five core values are reviewed and one trait is the focus for instruction. Lessons contain works of art, poetry, journal writing, craft activities, and more to assist students in understanding the key concept. Character bulletin boards are updated on regular basis with the promotion of the targeted character education traits.
Random Acts of Kindness & Courtesy: Students and Staff recognize each others acts of kindness by placing a leaf (description of deed) on the Character tree, receiving a hot pink ribbon, or having Kudos given out during the announcements.
Citizenship Topic of the Week: Topics are announced and discussed by staff and students during morning announcements over our closed-circuit TV show, "Good Morning Fort Foote.
Citizen of the Month: Students vote monthly on which child in their class demonstrated the core values consistently throughout the month. Students are recognized on the Photo/Family Bio Bulletin Board, a certificate of recognition, and a citizenship celebration.
Friendship Garden: Our Preschool special education and Kindergarten classes work collaboratively with the intermediate classes to create a Friendship Garden in our courtyard.
Gramps and Grannies Program: Senior Citizens from a local senior center visit individual students who may have self-esteem concerns each Thursday. In these weekly meetings, the seniors work with students on instructional task and share books in the media center.
Role Model Events: Big Buddy Breakfast and Tea for Two are annual events for our boys and girls to participate in an activity with a special male or female role model in their lives.
School Beautification Penny Drive: From January through March, each classroom collects pennies which are then used to purchase plants and shrubs. Students from all classrooms assist in planting.
Lick Illiteracy: Students (Student Council Program) sell lollipops to raise money which is used to purchase books. These books are then donated to the local maternity ward for new parents along with a note encouraging them to read to their child on a daily basis.
Have a Heart Sock Hop: Our younger children donate socks for the needy to attend a fun sock hop in February. Our older children donate toiletries to attend an evening multicultural dance. These items are then donated to family shelters.
Culture of the Month: Each month a culture is highlighted with posters, displays, music, language, and art in order to teach students to respect other cultures.
Parent Meetings & Workshops: In conjunction with our PTA, Guidance Office, and Math/Reading office, we plan parent meetings to share the Character Education program with our community. Based on a parent survey, we design parent workshops or panel discussions to meet the needs and concerns of the parents.
Volunteer Programs: Volunteer opportunities are plentiful at Fort Foote. We encourage parents and the community to join us on a daily basis as well as for special events such as Career Day, field trips, Literacy Day, or to help assist in the classroom.
Staff Components: We believe that in order to have a successful Character Education Program, it must first start with our adults. Our staff participates in the following activities:
- Character Education Training
- Staff Development on Cooperative Discipline Strategies
- Feature Teacher: teachers are recognized for their exemplary instructional effort
- Employee of the Month (which includes all staff)
- Comer School Development Program which trains all staff members in the process and use of "consensus", "collaboration", and "no fault" practices.
The Maryland Center for Character Education
29 West Susquehanna Ave., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21204Phone: 410-823-4902
Fax: 410-828-9661
E-Mail: MCCEcharacter@aol.com
