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.
FEBRUARY
This month's Best Practices is from an award winning school from 2008-2009.
BEST CHARACTER EDUCATION PRACTICES
School: South Shore Elementary
Address: 1376 Fairfield Loop Road, Crownsville, MD 21032
Principal: Dr. Linda Ferrara
E-Mail: LFerrara@aacps.orgPhone: 410-222-3865
Character Education Contact: Marlene Krueger
E-Mail: ckrueger@aacps.org
Title of Best Practice: Doing Our Best to be the Best
Primary Principles Emphasized: 1, 3, 4, 8, and 9
Objective(s): South Shore Elementary is committed to empowering students to be respectful of self and others and being responsible for their actions within school and the community.
Description:
South Shore Elementary School
“Doing Our Best to be the Best”
Character Education Program
The vision of South Shore Elementary School’s character education program is “Doing our Best to be the Best.” Our highly successful program has proven to be a positive force in contributing to a school environment that is peaceful and orderly and conducive to teaching and learning.
South Shore Elementary School provides a learning environment in which students, staff and parents embrace the tenets of character education. During the 2008-2009 school year, the following values were taught, expected, modeled, practiced and celebrated by both students and staff:
September Knowledge—Discovering something new so you can be better at whatever you do.
October Determination—Deciding it’s worth it to finish what you’ve started.
November Gratitude—Letting others know you see how they’ve helped you.
December Generosity— Making someone’s day by giving something away.
January Resourcefulness—Using what you have to get the job done.
February Fairness—Making sure that everyone is treated equally.
March Hope—Believing something good can come out of something bad.
April Conviction—Standing for what is right even when others don’t.
May Obedience—Trusting those who lead you by doing what you’re asked to do.
All students who display and show they understand the value of the month are nominated as “Star of the Week” and are rewarded with either a star ribbon or a certificate for free bowling or a free meal at Applebee’s (their choice).
The values of initiative, respect, uniqueness, peace, orderliness, kindness, courage, joy and patience were integrated and infused in the curriculum during the 2007-2008 school year. As we continue our systematic school-wide approach to teaching and reinforcing elements of character, our focus during 2009-1010 school year will include responsibility, individuality, cooperation, compassion, discipline, friendship, honesty, courtesy, and learning.
South Shore Elementary is a welcoming place. Walking through the halls you get a good idea of what is happening in the classroom and in the school. There are clear signs of the importance of character education. Posters, banners, and slogans promoting positive character are prominently placed throughout the school. In the media center, you will see book displays and a bulletin board highlighting the character education focus for the month.
Getting the Day off to a Good Start
Every day outside of school, an adult greets every child with a warm welcome. This simple ritual acknowledges the importance of the student’s presence in school and eases the transition from the expectations of home to those of the school.
Good Morning South Shore
Morning announcements are a good time for character development. Our morning program, Good Morning South Shore, offers daily character messages, positive thoughts and words of wisdom. The messages introduce children to the ideas of being more responsible, respectful and caring human beings. The messages encourage students to think about the choices they make and the consequence of those choices.
Building Character
Values need to be digested and discussed in order for it to become human nature. By using a weekly question, teachers establish a simple routine for teaching monthly values using the DEED model.
Week 1 Define the value
Week 2 Evaluate the value
Week 3 Encourage the value
Week 4 Decide about the value
Teachers plan activities based on the value of the month that is age appropriate for their class. As students become aware and involved with what each value means, it becomes routine in their day-to-day living. The following school-wide projects helped the students develop their character and promote school spirit:
- Food Donations to Anne Arundel County Food and Resource Bank
Veteran’s Day celebration (placing flags on MD’s Veteran’s Cemetery)- Harvest for the Hungry project
- Pennies for Patients (raising money for research for Lymphoma)
- Peers Recognizing Peers (students are given the opportunity to remark/comment on something good their peer has done when “no one is looking”)
- Green Committee
- Grandparents/Special Friends Day
- No Child Left Inside (5th graders were part of an introduction of a Bill for Environmental Action in Washington, D.C.)
- Star of the Week
Best Character Education Practices
- Expect and demand good character of all members of the school community.
- Implement a systematic school-wide character education program.
- Integrate character education throughout the school.
- Involve students and staff in activities that teach character development.
- Establish a positive school climate through behavior expectations
- Teach students to demonstrate respect and responsibility.
- Help students to internalize values that will help them make good choices.
- Recognize students who engage in noble acts of character.
- Identify and recognize students who exemplify positive character traits.
- Encourage and recognize positive contributions made by students.
- Teach tolerance and understanding of different races, cultures and religions.
- Empower students to do their absolute best.
Resources
The following resources were used in developing the school’s character education program, “Doing our Best to be the Best”
- Core Essentials, A Strategy for Teaching Character
- Bi-Weekly Guidance lessons
- Teaching Tolerance
The Maryland Center for Character Education
29 West Susquehanna Ave., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21204
E-Mail: MCCEcharacter@aol.com
