Integrating Core Values into the School Culture
Creature Chronicles: Cross County's Writers Showcase of Character
Cross County Elementary Technology Academy, Arkansas
Through an intentional effort to embed character into school-wide writing activities, these students in rural Arkansas were given prompts that focused on the school’s newly chosen core values. Students wrote reflections using grade level writing standards on how these values are being exemplified in their lives. All writing samples were published to share with family and community partners in a special character celebration event.
Kindness is...Ask a First Grader
Imagine Charter School at Weston, Florida
This Promising Practice focuses on embedding character into grade level curriculum. Even the youngest of scholars feel empowered to have a say in their learning as evidenced in the creation of a class book themed around the character strength of kindness. After class discussions defining and giving examples of what kindness looks like, feels like, and sounds like, students planned, wrote, and illustrated a class book both in English and Spanish.
GROW Groups - Growing Relationships of Worth
Vestavia Hills Elementary Dolly Ridge, Alabama
This practice encourages students and staff to foster caring relationships through an intentional effort in core value integration. Each cross-age GROW group focuses on one of the school’s core values and is led by 4th and 5th grade students. These students also practice leadership skills by learning about and teaching the core values to the younger students using a variety of activities.
If there is Magic in the world, it is Gratitude!
Seytek Stem Educational Complex, Kyrgyzstan
With an emphasis on teaching, practicing, and embedding the character traits of respect, gratitude, responsibility, and empathy, this school has worked to incorporate these traits both during the school day and in special events. Involving the school’s parents and families, a food fair was planned with a focus on the core value “Gratitude.” Students helped with the fair and sold the food prepared to help raise money for an orphanage and a nursing home.
Fostering Belonging and Caring Relationships
RCSA House System
River City Science Academy- Intracoastal, Florida
This school is the proud recipient of their first Promising Practice, which focuses on a cross-age House System that has been key to helping build relationships between students, staff, and even parents. A special House Selection Ceremony is held at the beginning of the school year to welcome new students. In this ceremony, students spin the wheel to see which house they land in and are then embraced and welcomed by their new teammates.
Trusted Adult Survey
Oak Brook Elementary School, Missouri
In this Promising Practice, this National School of Character works to identify students that do not feel connected to help to create caring relationships between those students and staff. This practice uses a school-wide survey to assess whether each student at Oak Brook feels that they have at least one trusted adult at school. Students that are identified are then the focus of an intentional plan to support and provide opportunities to build relationships with several adults at the school.
Friendsgiving
Hawk Point Elementary, Missouri
This National School of Character has their own spin on a “Friendsgiving” celebration! This Promising Practice focuses on the importance of the caring attachments between all members of the school community by planning a special school-wide meal and event. Each grade level participated in an academic learning activity to prepare for the meal such as measurement, reader’s theater, creative art, and science vocabulary needed for cooking. The culminating activity was for each cross-age buddy group to gather around a table to share in food and fellowship.
A Community Circle of Stars
Sixes Elementary School, Georgia
This school is a proud recipient of its first Promising Practice, which grew out of an intentional effort to strengthen peer-to-peer relationships and connections. All students and staff participate in Restorative circles that not only promote relevant discussions around core values, school pride, and behavior expectations, but have added core content circle time to grow intellectual and performance character strengths. The staff also use restorative circles during faculty meetings and other settings giving them structured ways to communicate openly, share challenges, and strengthen adult-to adult relationships.
Acts of Service
ICHB Volunteer Club in Africa
International Computer High School of Bucharest, Romania
At the heart of this Promising Practice is a student-created club that focuses on acts of service addressing community and worldwide issues where students find ways to contribute to make positive change. Lives and hearts were touched when this club worked to turn an idea into action by traveling to Africa where they worked with disabled and orphaned children and used funds raised to build a fountain with flowing water for the orphanage.
HEROES Garden: Monarch Waystation
Harmony School of Enrichment-Houston, Texas
This National School of Character is being recognized for this Promising Practice which focuses on creating opportunities for service learning. While researching the types of vegetables and flowers that grow best in their region, students learned that the school is in the annual migration path of the endangered Monarch butterfly. Students in the after-school garden club designed, constructed, and put together a plan for maintenance for the HEROES garden to be a pollinator habitat for the endangered Monarch butterfly.
Clean our World Campaign
Imagine Schools at West Melbourne, Florida
This National School of Character is being recognized for this Promising Practice which focuses on a school beatification service project. From start to finish, this entire event was spearheaded by 4th grade students who organized an effort to pick up garbage littering the school grounds. Armed with gloves, trash bags, and a sense of responsibility, the students set out to make a tangible difference in their environment by serving their school community.
Grandpals Service Partnership
Vestavia Hills Elementary at Cahaba Heights, Alabama
After reading about the benefits of service and working with the elderly, 5th grade students in this National School of Character initiated a plan and wrote persuasive letters to the principal asking for more visitation time in a Senior Citizen facility in the school’s neighborhood. This partnership also ties service to the curriculum by allowing students time to conduct interviews with the residents, write and publish their life stories, create math games, origami crafts, and share cooking activities with their senior pals.
Student Voice
Restorative Council
Imagine Great Western Academy, Ohio
This National School of Character is being recognized for this Promising Practice which was developed to help students own and have a voice in helping to shape their learning environment. Each week, 12 students spanning grades 5-8 rotate onto the council, and use the principles of restorative justice to help make decisions for the school. They address issues collaboratively, provide support, discuss ideas for logical consequences, and suggest a task for the next council to initiate.
DragonCast Podcast
Mason School of Academic and Cultural Literacy, Missouri
This school is the proud recipient of this Promising Practice which was created with an intention to amplify student voice through creative thinking, writing, and public speaking. Students across grade levels write, produce, and host podcast episodes that promote positive character, highlight diversity, and find ways to strengthen the school community. The creation of these podcasts has given scholars the creative opportunity to lead from the microphone and learn from peers.
Chiefs Lead
Cherokee Bend Elementary, Alabama
This school is the proud recipient of its first Promising Practice, “Chiefs Lead,” which grew out of an intentional effort to amplify the new core values within the school community. A group of 5th grade students voiced their desires to have more leadership opportunities and ways that they could use their voice to share the core values. This resulted in the birth of 5 student led groups with over 100 scholars participating in and leading school character efforts.
Restorative Circle and Social Contract
School of Science and Technology Advancement, Houston, Texas
This two-time National School of Character is the recipient of this Promising Practice which focuses on using restorative circles to elevate student voice. Within the circle, students can respond to others’ perspectives or contribute their own, facilitate group discussions aimed at conflict resolution, and establish communal social standards. These circles are also used to collectively formulate social contracts to define behavioral expectations as students work collaboratively to shape classroom norms.
Staff and Students Taking on Leadership Roles
TMS Rock Your School
Truman Middle School, Missouri
This two-time National School of Character is the proud recipient of this Promising Practice which exemplifies the shared responsibility of its character efforts. Teacher leaders dedicated to character and culture development led a committee to design engaging and unconventional learning experiences which included gamified lessons, opportunities for students to showcase their creativity, and total room transformations. This weeklong event to spark learning enthusiasm culminated in a student-led assembly which had the entire gym on their feet cheering for their school community.
Community Circles
Northeast Middle School, Missouri
This National School of Character is the proud recipient of this Promising Practice which offers students leadership roles in the character initiative. Trained students lead community circles to demonstrate to staff and scholars how a circle should be conducted and why they are so important. Once these leaders have led the initial circle, many teachers then feel confident leading circles within their classrooms to build community, restore harm, and discuss important issues.
Patriot to the CORE
Homewood Middle School, Alabama
Meet Homewood Middle, a proud recipient of its first Promising Practice! This practice exemplifies how the school’s leadership team shares ownership in the decision making of the character initiative. During the process of choosing the school’s new core values, the student leadership team created videos about fourteen character strengths to share with the school and outside community. These videos helped all stakeholders in the decision making process to choose the new Patriot core values.
Our Community, Our Plan!
Smallwood Drive Elementary School, New York
This Promising Practice from a two-time National School of Character focuses on the collaborative efforts of students, staff, and parents sharing input and leading efforts within the school community. Over 25 carefully selected ideas are now in the process of implementation, such as the adoption of a school pet dog from the SPCA, a soup, salad, and sandwich bar for staff, and numerous activity nights hosted by parents and community members. This new practice has generated a sense of enthusiasm and empowerment that has surpassed expectations.
Family / Community Engagement
Super Leaders on the Rise
Matthews Elementary, Alabama
Meet Matthews Elementary, a proud recipient of its first Promising Practice! This practice focuses on collaborating with families and community members as partners in the character initiative. Through an intentional effort to widen student support, this school has partnered with many outside stakeholders including the University of Alabama. Through this partnership, the AL’s Pals mentor, inspire, and volunteer to provide help with homework and enrichment activities.
The B.E.A.R.S. (Bolivar Empowers Active Responsible Students) Project
Bolivar Road Elementary, New York
This elementary school in rural New York is being recognized for this Promising Practice which focuses on empowering active and responsible students through the intentional planning of community wellness opportunities. All the events are intentionally held during the school day so ALL can participate. One example is “Bear Power Day,” a collaborative event that emphasizes a way to expose students to new experiences through health and fitness stations run by community members, families, and staff.
First Friday
Caroline L. Reutter School, New Jersey
This National School of Character is the recipient of this Promising Practice, which intentionally creates opportunities for meaningful interactions and collaborations that transcend traditional classroom boundaries. During these “First Friday” events, students can engage with faculty, staff, and community members in mini courses on a variety of topics. Through self-selecting topics of mutual interest, students not only explore new subjects but also connect with community volunteers and peers across different grade levels.
Connect Washington
School District of Washington, Missouri
This school district in rural Missouri is the proud recipient of this Promising Practice which helps students discover workforce passions through partnerships with over 150 local businesses. Each prong of Connect Washington has its unique goal, but together, they work to ensure that students graduate with strong character, excellent academic knowledge, and real-world experiences. This opportunity for interconnectedness and personal partnerships between students and members of the community is a part of each school at all grade levels across the entire district.
Domains of Character (Moral, Performance, Intellectual, Civic)
Bear Brew
Hawthorne High School, New Jersey
This high school is the proud recipient of its first Promising Practice which shares the caring connection between staff and a special group of students. The Bear Brew is a classroom coffee shop started by the students in the ARCH program who have diverse disabilities. These students serve as baristas, deliver the orders, and help keep track of the funds to help in their participation for community-based instruction. This practice has a focus in growing the civic character strengths of these students by finding ways for them to contribute to the school community.
Box Carnival
Imagine South Vero, Florida
This two-time National School of Character in Florida is the recipient of this Promising Practice which is grounded in helping students grow their intellectual character strengths. 5th grade students are tasked with transforming cardboard boxes into intricate carnival games under the guidance of older STEM class scholars. From conception to execution, students are immersed in every facet of design and construction, learning to brainstorm ideas, draft blueprints, and execute their vision with critical thinking and creativity. These students then showcase their carnival games to younger peers taking on the role of mentors and facilitators.
Just BE Family Kickoff & Reading Challenge
Barretts Elementary, Missouri
With an intentional effort to strengthen connectedness and inclusivity among students, this two-time National School of Character created this Promising Practice with a focus on the moral and civic character strengths of caring, respect, fairness, and compassion. This kickoff event centered around reading and discussing book selections surrounding different cultures. Students and families were given a bingo card to encourage reading 25 books about topics such as characters with disabilities, celebrating global holidays, and reading in different languages.
Super Stars Lemonade Stand
Cambridge Elementary, Texas
This two-time National School of Character in San Antonio is the proud recipient of this Promising Practice. Students in the life skills class work to strengthen intellectual character strengths as they plan out and run this lemonade stand during the school-wide bike rodeo event by making promotional signs, sorting and counting materials, measuring, serving, and taking money. Even the non-verbal students use their communication devices to talk to customers! This practice fosters inclusion, relationship building, and civic character growth by finding ways for each child to be a contributor within the school community.
