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.
MARCH
This month's Best Practices is from an award winning school from 2008-2009.
BEST CHARACTER EDUCATION PRACTICES
School: Snow Hill Elementary School
Address: 515 Coulbourne Lane, Snow Hill, MD 21863
Principal: Denise Shorts
E-Mail: drshorts@mail.worcester.k12.md.usPhone: 410-632-5210
Character Education Contact: LaVerne waters Cray
E-Mail: lmwaters@mail.worcester.k12.md.us
Title of Best Practice: Character Education for Life
Primary Principles Emphasized: 1, 2, 4, and 6
Objective(s): To prepare students for life by making character education a priority
Description:
Materials needed:• SHES Pledge Posters
• “Caught Being Good” slips
• Small prizes
• SHES Pledge matrix and posters
Persons responsible:
• Guidance counselor
1. trains and utilizes Peer Helpers Mediation Team
2. teaches and implements monthly Character Education lessons with each classroom and small groups of at risk students with identified needs.
3. implements SHES mentoring program
• Teachers and staff1. promote the "Caught Being Good" program
2. mentor "at risk" students
• AFG Character Education TeamObservable results: Students are behaving appropriately in designated areas. They can quote the SHES Pledge. Students use encouraging, polite and kind words, apologize when necessary, and listen politely and look at the speaker when he is speaking. There is an improved school climate for learning, as well as reduced disciplinary actions and fewer altercations.
Principle 1: Promotes core ethical values as the basis of good character.
Snow Hill Elementary School is committed to creating an environment in which all children demonstrate greater cooperation, fairness, responsibility, respect, self-control, honesty, courage and kindness in their school and community. Our goal is to ensure our students become productive citizens by making character education a priority.
The Principles of Effective Character Education that demonstrate how we foster character development throughout our school are 1, 2, 4, and 6.
One activity that promotes ethical values in Snow Hill Elementary School is “Caught Being Good” slips. Students are recognized for positive behavior in all areas of the school and receive a “Caught Being Good” slip when these are observed. These slips help to promote individual behaviors such as being respectful, staying prepared, assuming responsibility and being safe at all times which supports the SHES pledge.
Snow Hill Elementary
Caught Being Good SlipStudent: ______________________________________
Grade: _________________ Date: _________________
Show Respect
Have a safe day
Everyone is responsible
Stay Prepared
Comments/Description of Behavior: _________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Our pledge is recited daily by all students, staff, and faculty during the morning announcements. Teachers and staff issue these slips to students as incentives for continued positive behavior. Every two weeks students have the opportunity to trade their slips for prizes of their choice from the SHES school store. The prizes range from small trinkets to school tee shirts and sweatshirts. Students look forward to “cashing in” their “Caught Being Good” slips. To further assist students in making good choices, SHES developed a matrix describing each component of the pledge. Posters were created and displayed for students through out the different areas of the school, such as in the hallways and in the lunch line. The students can easily see the expected behaviors on a poster to guide them.
Principle #2: Defines "character" comprehensively to include thinking, feeling, and behavior.
Our school defines character in many ways. One way is through our Peer Helper Program. The Peer Helper program provides cross-age mentoring and mediation of conflicts. Third grade students go out during recess and are available to talk with second graders regarding any conflict that occurs. Some noticeable changes include improved self-esteem, listening and critical thinking skills, and school climate for learning, as well as reduced disciplinary actions and fewer fights. Another way we define character is through our Mentoring Program. This program pairs at-risk students with adults who encourage them throughout the school year to become successful in the school environment. The pairs meet regularly to play games, read a book, or just simply talk. The adult reassures the child that he/she has talents to develop and that education is the key to success in life. The SHES Pledge also defines character at our school. This pledge helps the students develop a moral compass and appropriate social behavior. The pledge is reviewed and appropriate and non-appropriate behaviors are discussed through the use of the SHES Matrix. The final way our school defines character is through our teachers. Teachers use their classrooms on a daily basis to instill core ethical values.
Principle #4: Creates a caring school community.
SHES clearly demonstrates Principle 4. The school promotes a caring community which involves developing caring relationships among students, among staff, between students and staff, and between staff and families. Each and everyday teachers encourage their students to be caring individuals and remind them of our SHES Pledge. As part of the pledge, students are expected to show respect to one another. Teachers promote respect by teaching their students the following behaviors: use encouraging, polite and kind words, to apologize when necessary, and to ask for permission to use others’ belongings. The teachers also encourage their students to listen politely and look at the speaker when they are speaking. These behaviors are taught and reinforced at school, with the expectation that they are carried over into the home and in the community.
The staff at SHES also knows the importance of communicating with parents to build an open relationship of mutual respect and cooperation. Teachers keep parents informed through newsletters, phone calls and conferences. Parents are encouraged to communicate with teachers about needs or concerns that they may have throughout the school year.
Parents are invited to attend many school activities such as: monthly family nights, special events that focus on getting “dads” in the school, chaperoning field trips, and volunteering during the year.
We invite dads, uncles, granddads and all important male figures in the children’s lives to participate in “Desserts with Dad” and “Donuts with Dad.” The purpose is to encourage our “dads” to become more comfortable with the school environment. This year we had fifty percent of the school represented by a male figure at these events. Our goal is to increase these numbers in the future.
In addition, this year we had 70 parent volunteers work on a regular basis at SHES. They feel welcomed and become a vital component of our school. Many of these volunteers return year after year.
Through our Haven House after school tutorial program (funded by the 21st Century Grant), monthly family nights are offered. Training/workshops are held and dinner is served. This year’s training/workshop topics included learning computer skills, sun safety and managing money.
Principle #6: Includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character, and helps them to succeed.
The academic program at Snow Hill Elementary School also includes a meaningful and challenging curriculum that respects all learners and provides various opportunities to meet our students’ needs. We are very proud of our academic success at SHES. We are both a Maryland and a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. Each day teachers provide their students with the best possible learning environment. Teachers use data from formal and informal assessment to plan their lessons. They differentiate instruction to meet the needs of their students in both reading and mathematics. In reading, our reading blocks are structured so that students are all in guided reading/needs-based groups for 20-30 minutes daily. Educational assistants are scheduled in classrooms at pertinent times to ensure assistance for differentiated instruction. Students’ progress is assessed regularly and instruction is modified or changed to continue to meet their needs. In addition to our needs-based groups during the reading block, we also have an intervention and supplemental reading block. During this time, students participate in reading programs for additional support and enrichment. When necessary, we implement diagnostic reading tests for all at risk students, and then conference with teachers on their results. In mathematics, teachers use strategies, such as hands-on activities, to meet their students’ needs. Math groups are also created with help from educational assistants. Haven House also utilizes our test data to differentiate instruction and determine student grouping.
We work diligently to help our children feel successful in school and value celebrating our students’ academic successes, too. We recognize our students in many ways. Each term, SHES has an Awards Assembly for each grade to recognize students for various accomplishments, such as Honor Roll and Principal’s List, Accelerated Reader winners, Student of the Month, Perfect Attendance, Character Education and Sportsmanship Award. Each day on morning announcements, we recognize our students by having a “student of the day” from each grade level highlighted. We also read exemplary answers to the Math Problem of the Day. We announce Science Fair and Tech Fest award winners and we share great news about championships our student athletes have won. We know that when children feel good about themselves academically, it carries over into other areas, and outside of the classroom as well.
The Maryland Center for Character Education
29 West Susquehanna Ave., Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21204
E-Mail: MCCEcharacter@aol.com
