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.

OCTOBER

This month's Best Practices is from an award winning school from 2005-2006.

 

BEST CHARACTER EDUCATION PRACTICES

 

School: Ocean City Elementary School

Address: 12828 Center Drive, Ocean City, MD 21842
Principal: Irene Kordick

Guidance Counselor: Linda McGean

          
Phone: 410-632-5370
E-Mail: ixkordick@mail.worcester.k12.md.us

             

Title of Best Practice: Star Citizens

Primary Character Trait(s) Emphasized: The 5 C's

Character - doing the right thing even when no one is looking

Choice - saying "yes" to everything good or right and "no" to everything bad or wrong

Caring - treating others with kindness and respect

Courtesy - living by the Golden Rule of treating others the way you want to be treated

Citizenship - working hard to make your school, your community, and your country the best they can be

 

Objective:

• To teach what the 5 C's are and what they actually look like when practiced (i.e.... which behaviors constitute caring, choice, character, courtesy and citizenship).

• To recognize and reward students who demonstrate these behaviors.

• To foster a safe, respectful school environment in which all students and faculty/staff members feel welcome and valued.
  

Brief Description:

All faculty and staff members may submit the names of students who exhibit behaviors that exemplify the 5 C's (character, caring, choice, courtesy and citizenship). Recognition forms are forwarded to the Guidance Counselor. Every day the Guidance Counselor reads these recognition forms on the morning announcements, including the names of the students being recognized, the names of the faculty/staff members who submitted their names, the specific behavior for which they are being recognized, and the character trait that was demonstrated. Recognized students receive a sticker that says, "OCES Star Citizen." A letter from the Principal, Assistant Principal and Guidance counselor is mailed home congratulating each Star Citizen and his/her parents/guardians. Star Citizens are recognized at quarterly awards assemblies and are presented with a certificate, a bumper sticker that reads, "My child was honored as a Star Citizen at OCES," and a coupon for a free kid's meal at a local restaurant. In addition, the names of the Star Citizens are published in the monthly school newsletters.

 

 

 

---

The Maryland Center for Character Education
29 West Susquehanna Ave., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21204

Phone: 410-823-4902
Fax: 410-828-9661
E-Mail: MCCEcharacter@aol.com