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Character Education

Program Components

Monthly Themes

Each month we will highlight one specific character trait. Continue making character education a part of every lesson by mentioning a character in a book making good choices, pointing out students showing good character and modeling good character yourself. Each month, update your classroom character education display by adding the definition and samples of student work supporting the trait of the month. 

As a school, we will reinforce the character traits on the morning announcements, through classroom guidance, and posters in the hallway. Please remember that this list does not include all character traits! Feel free to use teachable moments to address other traits such as perseverance, citizenship and pride. 

Month Theme Description
September Respect Showing high regard for self, other people, property and authority. Understanding that all people have value. Responding sensitively to the ideas of others without dismissing or degrading them.
September Responsibility Being dependable. Carrying out obligations and having a sense of duty to fulfill tasks one has accepted.
October Cooperation Getting along with others, work together toward a common goal. Be polite and use good manners.
November / December Caring Think of others first, be thoughtful, helpful and share. Be kind and express gratitude for what people do for you, help people in need.
January Fairness Share equally, play games by the rules and treat people equally.
February Honesty Being truthful and trustworthy.
March Self-Control Demonstrating hard work and commitment. Improving yourself while restraining from inappropriate behavior. Always doing your best.
April Citizenship Carrying out responsibilities appropriately. Willing to acknowledge wrong doing. Being truthful and trustworthy all the time.
May / June Perseverance Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action.

Character Slips

Award students a character slip when they demonstrate exceptionally good character. These can be awarded to any student at any time. Fill out the character slip and have the student go to the office to receive their sticker showing they earned a slip and to deposit the slip in the star jar in the office. We are beginning something new this year “Clap for Character”. On Friday we will recognize all students who earned character slips during the week. During morning announcements the news anchors will invite students who earned a character slip for the week to stand up. Everyone in the class will applaud for them. When the news anchors sit back down, all students in classrooms would also sit down and show respectful listening as the announcements continue. Note: This will replace going to the treasure box. Character slips are designed to recognize students' good choices. It may be given to a student who always does their homework, who is showing respectful listening even though their neighbor is talking to them or who helps a classmate without being asked.

Positive Referrals

When a student continually makes good choices or perseveres until they succeed they can be recognized with a positive referral. These forms are completed by the teacher, then the student takes it to the main office. An administrator handles the referral positively by giving the parent a good news phone call, giving the student something from the treasure box. Positive referrals are designed to recognize students who continually make good choices. If a student turned in all homework for a month, is always a good helper, or if they have worked hard on learning math facts and finally learned them all it would be appropriate to give a positive referral.