Prior to the beginning of the 1996-97 school year, a committee of teachers and parents worked jointly at identifying and defining specific character traits that should be fostered in the school. The traits that were identified were: Respect, Responsibility, Courtesy and Cooperation. Each trait was defined in language that was appropriate for children aged 5 through 8. The definitions are as follows:
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Respect means caring for yourself, others and our environment. |
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Responsibility means doing your best and making good choices for yourself. |
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Courtesy means behaving in a way that shows good manners and thoughtfulness toward other people. |
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Cooperation means working, playing and living together in a way that makes everyone feel good. |
We incorporate these 4 character traits throughout the entire school year. Each quarter has a special emphasis on one of the 4 traits to help focus attention on the development of the traits. The children learn what these traits look like and sound like here at school, i.e., on the playground, in the hallway, in the cafeteria, in the classroom, etc. Central Elementary was the first school in the district to develop and incorporate Character Education into its curricula. In addition to the above 4 character traits, district themes include:
For questions on Character Education, contact Mrs. Joette Nowak or Mrs. Heather Clark
Good character is . . . what you think in your head, what you feel in your heart and what you do with your hands.
