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 2004-2005.

 

BEST CHARACTER EDUCATION PRACTICES

 

School: Northwest Middle School

Address: 99 Kings Drive, Taneytown, MD 21787
Contact: Dana Falls, Principal   or
         Laura Thompson, Guidance Counselor
Phone: 410-757-3270
E-Mail: dafalls@k12.carr.org
              lethom2@k12.carr.org

 

 

Title of Best Practice: Project Wisdom and the Golden Rule Award

Primary Character Trait(s) Emphasized: Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility

Objective(s): To develop a positive educational environment by teaching students character traits and ethical behaviors that influence positive behavioral choices.

Brief Description (including such items as materials needed, persons responsible, sequence of activities, observable results, references, etc.)

Materials:

•   Project Wisdom – a copyrighted series of daily readings to be shared with the student body; Please refer to www.projectwisdom.com for more information

•   Golden Rule Award certificates
  
•   Window Decals

•   Husky Pride t-shirts (limited edition, for select winners)

•   $50.00 savings bonds (for select winners)

•   Family Gift Certificates (door prizes at family awards reception)

Persons Responsible:

•   Principal and Assistant Principal – provide daily readings from Project Wisdom, award the certificates and prizes to students and families

•   Positive Behavioral Reinforcement Committee – helps promote the character education program, sponsors a semi-annual reception for all Golden Rule nominees and their families

• Teachers & Staff members – nominate students for the Golden Rule Award

•   Community Partners (i.e. Taneytown Lions Club, other community businesses) – sponsor the savings bonds for one male and one female randomly drawn from monthly nominees

Schedule of Activities:

• Administrator reads a daily selection from Project Wisdom on the PA system each morning to the entire student body. Each reading concludes with “Make it a great day or not…the choice is yours."

• Golden Rule Nominations – each staff member may nominate one male and one female student each month who have consistently demonstrated the three pillar character traits.

• All monthly nominees receive: recognition over the PA system and on the lobby bulletin board, a window decal, and an award certificate.

• Random Public Drawing from nominees – each month, one male and one female winner receive a Husky Pride t-shirt, a $50.00 savings bond, a phone call home, and a photo on the lobby awards wall.

• A semi-annual Family Reception is held for all Golden rule nominees and their families – the evening entails refreshments, an adult speaker on character, a student speaker on character, and drawings for door prizes such as free family bowling passes and dinner for four at a local restaurant.

Outcomes:

• Increasing numbers of students are being nominated for the Golden Rule Award by staff members, demonstrating that teachers are seeing improved behavior.

• Office referrals are down 16% from this time last school year.

• Academic performance is praiseworthy, with nearly 40% of students achieving the Honor Roll during the first marking term.

 

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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