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Here's news from WCPSS schools about character education:

ATHENS DRIVE HIGH: Positive Behavior Support Co-Chair Travis Seese says Character education is an essential component to reaching our goals at Athens Drive. This year we are approaching character education by several avenues. One effective road is the modeling and rehearsing of behaviors during our advisor/advisee time that exhibit our core values. Another path we use to teach character education is the integration of a monthly character trait across the disciplines. Finally, we celebrated exceptional character via our Glass Slipper Ball. The Glass Slipper Ball was a huge success and we look forward to building on this success next year. In addition, we will continue character education using these roads and by incorporating further character education components into PBS and into the ADHS mentoring program.

BRENTWOOD ELEMENTARY: School Counselor Andrea Burston says Each month at Brentwood Elementary we celebrate the accomplishments of our students based on perfect attendance, character traits and the principal’s award. Students earn the Perfect Attendance Certificate by arriving on time, every day without any absences or tardies. Recipients of the principal’s award receive a certificate honoring any of the following:  improved behavior or maintaining good behavior, academic achievement or working hard without giving up. Students who earn the Principal’s Award have their picture taken with the principal and the pictures are hung in the Principal’s Office.

Students earning the Student of the Month Certificate are honored by their classmates for exhibiting the character trait of the month.  For this honor, the students’ pictures are displayed in the main lobby. The purpose of the monthly Awards Ceremonies is to foster personal character traits so to improve the learning environment, promote student achievement, and reduce disciplinary problems.

Each morning, Principal Mrs. Pamela Perry Johnson leads the student body in reciting the “Bear’s Creed” which reinforces positive behavior, positive character traits and school pride.

B - Be a thinker
E - Earn respect
A - Always be kind
R - Responsibility is key
S - Safety first

Character Education posters are displayed in every classroom.  The guidance counselor also teaches character trait lessons once a month to each grade level throughout the school year.  

BROOKS ELEMENTARY: School Counselor Heather Roberts says Character Education is a big part of what drives guidance programming here at Brooks MMES. Monthly character traits are taught, practiced and celebrated through classroom guidance and special recognition through the Brooks Moving Museum parade. Small groups of students are invited to join 4th and 5th grade Character Spies on the beat looking for kids who show character. Spies send secret “Caught-Ya” cards to students caught in action with character. Fourth grade classes will begin learning the Peaceable School curriculum which teaches conflict resolution and good judgment.

The first semester at Brooks highlights a wealth of character education as students study responsibility, respect, courage, and kindness through classroom guidance. Bright Star Theater will visit Brooks in September to creatively teach students appropriate ways to deal with bullies through their performance of The Lady of Bullyburg. First grade students will visit the North Carolina Museum of Art to look at the character trait of responsibility as they compare family responsibilities in African culture to their own families through art and dance. The last week in October, all Brooks students will celebrate Red Ribbon Week learning about the importance of saying no to drugs. Each day of Red Ribbon Week will have a special dress up theme to add to the fun. October also brings the singing group Almost Recess who will use their melodic voices to share important lessons in character education. Enloe High School drama students will teach character traits through Japanese folktales on the Brooks stage in November.

The second semester at Brooks brings celebrations in good judgment, perseverance, integrity, and self discipline.  Students will support courageous young cancer patients as they collect pennies in the North Carolina Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Pennies for Patients program.  Fifth grade students will work diligently to write, produce, and stage their own opera showing true perseverance.  In March Irish dancers will talk with students about the art and sport of Irish dancing and the self discipline it takes to compete at Irish Feiseanna.  In April, Billy Jonas will sing and talk about responsibility for the environment as he drums up songs on his recycled instruments.  The spring also invites Brooks students out and about on Career Day as they learn about the self discipline it takes to have the career they want.   

CONN ELEMENTARY: At Conn Elementary, the guidance program and the Positive Behavior Support (PBS) team have developed a school-wide character education program.  Their motto is that all staff members and students show respect, responsibility and kindness and demonstrate excellence in all that they do.  Every month, the guidance counselor appears on the school’s morning news broadcast to introduce the character trait for that month.  She may read a book, show a video, or give the classroom teachers ideas for modeling these traits during morning meeting.  Fifth grade students also feature character trait ideas during the week on the morning news.  After viewing the news, teachers are encouraged to discuss these character traits with their students.  For consistent instruction, the guidance counselor also teaches character trait lessons twice a month in kindergarten and once a month in first through fifth grade throughout the school year.  
 
In the main office, there are CONNpliment cards and Thursday motto cards that the teachers can utilize.  Teachers can fill out CONNpliment cards for staff members demonstrating respect, responsibility, and kindness, along with Thursday motto cards for students who are showing these character traits.  The students’ names are read on the Thursday news and the CONNpliment cards are recognized on a bulletin board and at monthly staff meetings. 

Every classroom has a character education poster. Teachers hold morning meeting each day from 9:15-9:30.  This allotted block of time guarantees that each student receives character education training. 

DAVIS DRIVE MIDDLE: Teacher Mary Alice Joyce says I try to embrace Character Education in several ways in the classes that I teach. For one, I hold my students to an expectation of kindness, respect and responsibility to self and to others. This is an expectation that many of my students rise to, and one which comes up in conversation should one fail to meet those expectations. I've incorporated character lessons into my Resource Math 8 class, as well as in Social Skills lessons in other classes. I also give a "High 5 Award" for positive behaviors and actions; I have not given this award as frequently this year as I have in years past, but it is something I use to reinforce excellent character.

As a school community, I see grade levels and teams awarding students for displaying positive character attributes.

DURANT ROAD ELEMENTARY: Counselor Sonya Averette says our media specialists have worked with us, along with our character education committee to choose fictional books to help teach the character trait for each month.  Grades K-2 have parent volunteers go into the classroom and teach lessons, organized by the committee, that are formed around the story read.  Each lesson lasts about 30 minutes.
 
For grades 3-5, we use the character film clips sent to us from central office.  We have organized discussion questions and activities for teachers to use as follow up.  The clips are shown each Monday during the month and teachers choose which week their classes will watch and discuss them. 
 
We have different lessons to alternate from year to year in order to keep students from having the same lessons repeated year after year. 

FUQUAY-VARINA ELEMENTARY: Guidance Counselor Julia Hibberd says the PTA promotes character education in their quarterly newsletter. In each issue, they highlight the value of the month by including a brief write up about the trait and giving students ideas of how to exhibit the trait. They include quotes that focus on the trait. There is a space in the newsletter for the parents to briefly write about how their child exhibited the trait. Parents can return the page to their child's classroom teacher. The PTA will display this child's name on the Character Education tree located in the front lobby of the building. Teachers can include names of students to be highlighted for that month's character education value. Monthly announcements are broadcasted during the morning newscast identifying the character value and ways students can promote it at school. 

GREEN HOPE HIGH: Special Populations Coordinator Nancy McDonnell says possessing traits of character is vital to a student’s success.  In order to help our students soar to success we must reinforce strong character traits simultaneously with academic excellence.   Wake County recognizes eight essential traits of character: Responsibility, Respect, Courage, Kindness, Self-Discipline, Integrity, Perseverance and Good Judgment

We want to reinforce these traits in our students by acknowledging their actions of honorable character. How will this happen?

This is a voluntary activity that can be used to enhance your classroom learning.  You can choose the level of your participation.  We will place three tokens in your mailbox to get you started.  If you desire more, you may obtain tokens from Vickie in the front office. 

There are Character Trait posters available in the front office.  Please make sure that a poster is displayed in your room.

There will be Character Trait bookmarks available in the near future.

HODGE ROAD ELEMENTARY: School Counselor Emily Diaz says the school's character education program includes Morning announcements with Character Quotation/Saying; Monthly character trait focus; Student nominations who have demonstrated outstanding character each month (they have picture taken with certificate and reward); Bulletin board each month of students with outstanding character; Monthly teacher packets of character lessons; and Classroom guidance character lessons.

HOLLY GROVE ELEMENTARY: Counselor Margaret Ray-Nobles says the school has a kick off for the character education program with an assembly for all tracks.  The WCPSS Toucan Mascot is invited to help with the kick off.  At the assembly, students are reminded of awards available for showing good character.

Parent volunteers teach the character trait for the month to each class.

Parents can recognize their child for demonstrating character by completing the Cary Towne Center Character Rewards Program newsletter and sending a printed copy to school for the school counselor to stamp.  Parents can take their child’s stamped newsletter to the mall for an award.

Teachers have the opportunity to award students who have exhibited good character each month.  Students can earn a star student sticker that is worn during the day.  The student’s name is placed on the Star Wall in the cafeteria.  Students may also earn a McDonald’s certificate for a free food item at a local McDonald’s.  Students whose names are listed on the star wall will receive an ice cream party at the end of the year.

Students may also receive Caught being Good stickers from anyone in the building when they display good character.  Their names are announced on the intercom by the principal each morning.

HOLLY RIDGE MIDDLE - Teacher Patrick McArdle says the school’s character trait for October is respect. McArdle shares a monthly electronic newsletter with staff entitled the Character Bulletin. The newsletter includes some advice on communication:

“We are always communicating with what we say, how we act, sometimes with what we don't say.  Words chosen well can lift someone up and make for healthy relationships. Words not chosen well can tear people apart.  Lack of words can build walls, most of us know the pain that comes when we feel ignored or left out, or overlooked.  Lack of words can sometimes create stronger relationships that unpleasant words would destroy.  Make it a habit to think before speaking.”

McArdle shares an excerpt from the Character Education Informational Handbook & Guide for Support and Implementation of the Student Citizen Act of 2001, a tool the school uses to develop its Character Education program. The handbook says character education programs should include:

LEESVILLE ROAD HIGH: Assistant Principal Germaine Jackson says the Character Education Team at Leesville Road High School promotes the eight identified character traits and recognizes students who exemplify them. At Leesville, we have an online database that teachers may access to nominate any student who they feel consistently exemplifies one of the Character Education traits. Nominees are recognized with a certificate four times during the school year – October, December, March and May. At the end-of-the-year Awards Day Assembly, the male and female seniors who have received the most Character Education nominations receive a gift to commend their outstanding display of character. Senior male and female runner-ups are also recognized at the assembly.  Parents of these students are invited to the assembly to share this special acknowledgement.

Leesville has also started a new initiative where each teacher will have a Character Pride Lion (our mascot) on their door. Teachers have the opportunity to recognize a student who has shown good character in a specific situation by posting the student’s name on the Lion. Individual teachers determine how often they choose to recognize students, but they are encouraged to use this opportunity to commend students on a weekly basis. 

Leesville Road High School staff members are cognizant of the fact that good character is a key factor in achieving and sharing success throughout life. 

MARTIN MIDDLE: At Martin Middle School each month, school counselor Georganne Griffin notifies staff by e-mail of the monthly character trait, the WCPSS definition, and some ideas of how teachers can use the character trait for instruction. Griffin recently visited all the sixth grade classes and found that most of the students knew about the WCPSS character traits and were able to define and relate them to the classroom guidance session at hand. Griffin is planning to pilot a small Peer Mediation program in the near future, and will be using aspects of character education in the training and implementation. Character education and a positive school climate are integrated into a successful peer mediation program.

MIDDLE CREEK ELEMENTARY: Counselor Carrie Vinson says at Middle Creek we focus on incorporating the character traits into the classroom each month. Every classroom has a set of "character ed books", provided by the PTA, that focus on a particular character trait. Along with the book is a classroom discussion and activity guide for teachers' to use throughout the month. In addition, we have "Kobe and Gill's Wall of Good Character" which displays students names who've exhibited that character trait each month. They are nominated by their classroom teachers. Students who show that character trait are given a special prize at the end of each month. Two Character Ed celebrations take place each year, one celebrating students' accomplishments in the fall semester, and another at the end of the year to celebrate students in the spring. In order for a child to attend, they must be nominated for at least one character trait reward during that time period.

MIDDLE CREEK HIGH: Teacher Matt Scialdone says we strive to have each of our students known well by at least one adult in the building.  One of the ways we work towards building relationships with and between our students is using Character Education lessons.  Staff members at MCHS lead students through these lessons during advisory sessions, and the feedback from last few years shows that these are among the students' favorite activities.

PANTHER CREEK HIGH: Assistant Principal Debbie Ray says being a Positive Behavior Support school is the first step to creating a positive culture that promotes a school wide approach to Character Education. As one enters the commons area at Panther Creek HS, flags representing each character trait hang from the rafters. These flags serve as a visual reminder to everyone who enters the area that a great value is placed on each of the traits. Our staff recognizes students who have exhibited positive character traits by presenting them with Kudos for Catamount coupons. Students drop the coupons in a box in the commons area and a drawing is held each Friday. Each weekly winner receives a fifteen dollar gift certificate to a local merchant, compliments of our PTSA. The names of each weekly winner are then re-entered into a drop box for an end-of-the quarter drawing. At the end of each quarter, the student winner and the teacher who issued the coupon each receive a twenty-five dollar gift certificate to a local merchant, compliments of our PTSA.

In addition to the Kudos coupon program, our staff mails Good News Cards to students in recognition of good character traits. For each discipline referral submitted, teachers submit a positive behavioral referral. Administrators call those students to their offices for conferences and contact parents. Through many of our co-curricular clubs, service organizations, and athletics students are taught to be positive role models by performing acts of school and community service.

PENNY ROAD ELEMENTARY: Counselor Anne Barnette Zalubowski says we are fortunate to have wonderful staff and parent support for the character education program.  Each month we highlight a character trait – Responsibility, Honesty, Respect, Positive Attitude, Self Discipline, Good Judgment, Good Manners, Kindness, Hard work, and Teamwork.  The teachers and counselor discuss what each trait means and give examples for the students each month in the classrooms.  We encourage families to discuss the traits at home as well.

To visually remind students of the trait of the month, we hang a banner in the cafeteria where everyone can see it.  The PTA also displays the trait, a definition, and quotes for the ‘trait of the month’ on a bulletin board in the main hallway.  Additionally, they have a rotation where each month, one class per grade level prepares a drawing or essay on what the character trait means to them.  Each class selects the two best representatives to be posted on the Character Education bulletin board and those students get their pictures added to the board next to their work.  They also have their names listed in the monthly newsletter.  Typically the teachers post the rest of the drawings or essays outside of their classrooms so all students can be recognized for their efforts.

Finally, we have Character Education certificates.  The teachers are given certificates corresponding to the trait of the month.  Each week they are to select one student who has best demonstrated that trait.  The teachers recognize the student by giving them the certificate and explaining to the class what he or she did to deserve the honor.  They also add the student’s name to a list that the counselor reads each week over the announcements to publicly recognize their efforts.  We encourage teachers to try to find a way to celebrate all the students in their classes. 

In addition to weekly and monthly character education recognition, we have two annual events to encourage respect and responsibility for our community.  In November we have a food drive benefiting the North Carolina Food Bank and in December we have a Giving Tree where we collect cold weather clothing to donate to those in need.  The character education committee strives to evaluate and adjust the program to meet the needs of the teachers and students at Penny Road and encourage full participation. 

PLEASANT UNION ELEMENTARY: Counselor Levonda Mark says At Pleasant Union not only do our teacher's incorporate character education in their daily lessons, but we invite parents to come in monthly and be character readers.  That way, the kids are hearing the lessons from the teachers and the parents who come in to reinforce and support the lessons.
 
Our students are also able to earn character bucks for portraying good character traits.  These bucks can be used for the purchase of books and other trinkets in our Character Buck Book Store.  Each child who cashes in bucks at the store, has his or her picture taken for our bulletin board.
 
We also have a Kids For Character Club.  The KFC club is a service learning club.  We are currently working on making food baskets for some of our Pleasant Union families.  We will also be participating in the Pennies For Pasta leukemia drive in the Spring.  Kids For Character members are also active in Red Ribbon Week and other helpful school wide projects.  On Wednesdays, members introduce a character clip of the week and we have Character Ed (bee puppet) give the character bee challenge to "BEE THE BEST THAT YOU CAN BE!" and a character bee of the week is chosen.  The character bee of the week receives a character bee pencil, kick ball, taco bell coupon and a certificate.
 
At the end of track out, we have an awards assembly where we recognize students with exemplary character by presenting them with a coupon worth ten character bucks that they can use at the character bucks book store.
 
We have a character education committee that meets and plans two school-wide assemblies per year,  as well as other school-wide activities. This committee has a small budget.
 
As you can see character counts at PU!

RIVER BEND ELEMENTARY: Counselor Jaime Bierwagen says we get to make fun weekly announcements about the character trait and give ideas on how to show that trait throughout the school-it is a lot of fun and kids really seem to get a kick out of it!

In addition, we have a 'Cool Character Club' where students are nominated weekly by their teacher. Once they have been nominated, they get their name announced on the PA and then they get to participate in a mini-celebration which includes; them getting their picture taken and posted on our "Best Beavers" bulletin board, getting to sign our cool autograph book, receiving a certificate for their accomplishment, and a pencil of encouragement.

Our students really seem excited to get to participate in this awesome program!

RIVER OAKS MIDDLE: Counselor Daniel Craven says we start the day off with morning announcements with a character trait, that we define and then pose a question to be discussed within each homeroom (example: "Today's trait is Tolerance, and tolerance is having an attitude toward others which is fair and free from bias. Have you ever had a preconceived idea about a person or group, then found out you were wrong once you got to know them? Discuss with your class a time when you were tolerant of another".
 
After homeroom is completed, students move to their Social Emotional class where school expectations are taught, as well as an initial 3 week curriculum of character education. Each day is spent on a different character trait (example: honesty, courage, discipline, self respect, respect, goodwill, determination) Once students complete their character education in social emotional class they move to a different level and work on social situations, conflict resolution, time management, anger management or self reflections.

SALEM MIDDLE - Salem Middle School is excited about its Character Counts program.   Counselor Barbara Van Oostrum says there are many students at Salem Middle School that reach high academic recognition and the school felt the need to spotlight deserving students who demonstrate the WCPSS character traits on a daily basis.  Two students per track per grade are selected on a quarterly basis for their outstanding character.  For the first quarter of the 2007-08 school 27 students were honored with a Character Counts breakfast sponsored this quarter by area restaurants. 

VANCE ELEMENTARY: School Counselor Lisa Mize says Vance Elementary celebrates character education in different ways.  In order to adjust to the year-round calendar, we change our character trait every 5 weeks so that all tracks get a chance to celebrate each trait. We have also added Good Citizenship to the list of traits we celebrate.

During our daily morning announcements, a tip or quote related to the current character trait is shared. On Monday, the tip is the definition of the character trait, and on Tuesday through Friday the tips given are either quotes from a significant person or advice on how to apply that trait into your daily life.

At the end of each 5-week time period, every classroom nominates one student to receive the character award for the trait that was just celebrated. Students who are nominated show exemplary behaviors of that trait. They have their picture taken and it’s placed on a Panther paw (our mascot) and hung on our character wall. Their picture stays up until the end of the year.  Students who were nominated receive a certificate for their character trait at the awards assembly at the end of each semester.

This year, our school counselor began a group called Character Kids. It is a group of 4th grade students who “applied” to join. The students meet once a week to make posters that are hung around the school. They also write skits that are video taped and shown on the morning announcements. The students have written and performed songs or plays that demonstrate how to exhibit the character trait currently celebrated. Children at our school enjoy seeing their peers on TV and the skits provide an opportunity for classroom discussions about the character traits. 

These things, as well as the character traits being a part of our daily language, are the way we at Vance Elementary help children to develop good character.

WAKE FOREST ROLESVILLE MIDDLE: 7th Grade Counselor Michael Meyer says A Dance Marathon sounds like a fun time to most middle school students, but character education? Believe it or not, it is absolutely true!!! WF-RMS has created a much anticipated fun evening for the students, while also teaching students something about citizenship and helping those in need.

The Social-Organization and Service Club (SOS) is an after-school club open to students in all grade levels. The mission of this club is:

  1. To take pride in serving town, state and country
  2. To organize projects for the school, which are both social and service oriented
  3. To work together as a team to accomplish to put together some great events
  4. To participate in character education and service-learning opportunities
  5. To learn the business aspects of our projects (think like a business owner)
  6. To appreciate the balance between working hard and playing hard

The biggest project SOS organizes is the annual Dance Marathon. Middle school students took the initiative to start this project in the wake of 9/11/01 at Cedar Creek Middle School just up the road in Youngsville. Since that time, three North Carolina middle schools have come together to support Duke and North Carolina Children’s Hospitals!

Just this past year, SOS members sang Christmas Carols to local seniors, sponsored a candy cane sale, met UNC Coach Roy Williams and Duke/Team USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski, and visited the UNC Dance Marathon (www.uncmarathon.org).

Some SOS members went to the Penn State Dance Marathon, which is the largest student run philanthropy in the world (www.thon.org). On this four day, three night trip, students learned what goes into planning the largest dance marathon in the world while getting some ideas for the WF-RMS Dance Marathon.

On the way back to North Carolina, the club stopped in Shanksville, Pennsylvania to pay tribute to the heroes of Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. The school placed a beautiful memorial at the crash site, constructed by art teacher Mr. Jose Cruz. Students and teachers signed the memorial, which was recently featured as the back drop for a speech by presidential candidate John McCain on September 11, 2008.

The WCPSS character traits are exemplified in this project. This is true for both SOS members and dancers (students who participate in Dance Marathon).

1) Responsibility:

SOS members attend weekly meeting and work on various items related to the Dance Marathon. Some of these items include writing sponsorship letters to real businesses, marketing, planning the event budget, and physically setting up the event.

Dancers are responsible to keep track of their collected sponsorships. They are responsible to accurately explain the event to potential individual sponsors.

2) Respect

SOS members are expected to show respect to one another and all staff members. They must demonstrate respect when approaching real business owners, even though some of these business owners may respond negatively to their request for sponsorship.

Dancers must ask for individual sponsorship in a respectful way. While attending the event, dancers must show respect to other dancers and to chaperones.

3) Courage

When the event first started, some students and even adults felt the project would fail. Dances at WF-RMS were not viewed in a positive light by students. SOS members were challenged to prove these people wrong. Students put the risk of participating in a failure aside and continued to work hard. Even now. students currently learn how to ask for something from real business owners. This certainly takes courage. It also takes courage to speak about the event to potential dancers in the school.

When the event began, dancers signed up even though other students said the event would be boring. Dancers put aside peer pressure in some instances to make a positive difference. Currently, it still takes a certain amount of courage to approach people asking for individual sponsorship.

4) Kindness

SOS members show kindness towards one another and to those in need by participating in the project. Their work goes to help other children in need at two hospitals.

Dancers listen to the stories of families of sick children at the annual Dance Marathon assembly. Their attentiveness and empathy with the pain of the families is evident in their silence and in their applause upon hearing an uplifting story. Dancers give up some personal time to gather sponsorship for the children in need.

5) Self-Discipline

SOS members must start organizing the project early due to its magnitude. This takes great self-discipline since the result is not until the end of the school year. Frustrations and other unexpected road blocks must be temporary in order to get the job done.

Dancers must be disciplined enough to get their sponsors by the deadline and to do so in an appropriate way.

6) Integrity

SOS members and dancers are expected to raise sponsorship for Dance Marathon. It is expected that all sponsorship collected for the event is turned in to the proper people.

7) Perseverance

SOS members must continue working hard even when things get tough. Sponsorship was difficult last year due to a tough economy. This caused unexpected obstacles making the process take longer also took place. For example, some marketing signs were torn down by students. SOS members had to persevere by making the signs again and not get discouraged by the acts of one or a few.

Dancers had to persevere as well to collect sponsorship in a tough economy.

8) Good Judgment

SOS members recognized how to behave in certain situations. When at the 9/11 crash site, students respected the events there by talking quietly and walking (not running). Students chose to watch a movie explaining the heroics of the passengers on Flight 93 so they would better understand the significance of the site. SOS members had to use good judgment when at club meetings. There were times they were sent to hang signs in the hallways or to recycle. When not directly in view of adults, SOS members had to represent their school and club well.

Dancers showed good judgment by their behavior in the presence of affected families and by making good decisions at the Dance Marathon.

9) Review of all traits

Our youth are extremely capable of accomplishing an incredible amount of good. Adults must give our youth opportunities to make a positive difference. A good school successfully educates what can be measured on a report card. A great school educates the whole person. While our test scores are definitely one important measure of success, we know that a person’s heart, soul, and spirit are not reflected by a number or a letter on a piece of paper. This is the core of successful character education in the school system. Many students regularly wish to help people near and abroad. They simply need realistic directions on the best way to make this happen.

In the weeks prior to Dance Marathon, students were asked what society expects of today’s youth. Answers ranged from “Nothing” to “Create chaos” to “Be selfish.” They were challenged to prove these public perceptions dead wrong. If we consistently delay doing what it takes to be successful in fear of what others may think, our success will be lost in a cloud of fear that something may go wrong. As with anything we do in life, there is always the risk something could go wrong with our Dance Marathon.
When we look at the great accomplishments in history, failure was always a risk. Our nation was not built on the fear of what others thought or something going wrong. We were founded by strong people who did what was right in the face of tremendous adversity and criticism. Unfortunately these lessons are often lost in an overanxious society, which considers a day without any problems to be a great day rather than viewing a day without any accomplishments as a bad day.

Students were given a different way to look at this challenge. Perhaps those who say success is not possible are simply afraid of what will happen if we are in fact successful. Students were told that while there will always be people who doubt them, there are also people who need reassurance that our youth today can be strong when necessary. Let’s give those people hope, make a positive difference, and have some fun at the same time!

WF-RMS students responded in massive numbers. They are extending a challenge to other WCPSS schools to answer the call and begin character education programs at their school. It is a great way to for an entire school community to unite behind a terrific cause.

Time is a concern. Please contact Mike Meyer (MMEYER1, 554-8451) and he will give you some suggestions as to how make a productive, yet time efficient project.

The website www.wfrdanceathon.com will be updated regularly. Please check it out

WAKE FOREST-ROLESVILLE HIGH: Staff Development Coordinator and Intervention Coordinator Larry Parks says our Character Education Plan states:  If our students are to graduate prepared to transition into adult lives, then they must be of good character and embody the key character traits:  responsibility, respect, kindness, courage, good judgment, self-discipline, integrity, and perseverance.  As a school we must be holistic in preparing students; we must prepare them academically, socially, emotionally, and physically for the 21st century.

Program Components for Students:

Program Components for Teachers:

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