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Fall 2002 LPS Newsletter
Character Education Newsletter
Character Education Office Fall, 2002
Character Education in LPS Middle Schools
Last spring, administrators and lead teachers from all LPS middle schools participated in a two-day workshop, “Implementing Character Education.”
The session was led by B. David Brooks, a well-known author and expert in the field of character education. Participants received materials and information regarding the implementation of character education and heard effective strategies to maintain successful programming.
Each middle school was given funding from the Nebraska Partnerships in Character Education Grant to use for implementation. Teams were formed at each school and initial planning began throughout the summer.
Each school submitted a character education plan that promotes character development among students, character awareness for parents, and includes opportunities for service learning projects within the school and community. Additional money from the grant will be used to fund the identified projects.
Each school has a Character Education Liaison that has provided leadership throughout this process and continues to meet monthly with the Character Ed Curriculum Specialist, Cindy Schwaninger.
“Character development begins at birth
and lasts until death.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
High School Character Education Student Advisory Committee Meeting
The High School Character Ed Leadership Team is sponsoring a new opportunity for high school students. Selected students from each high school will be invited to be a part of a Student Advisory Committee that will identify ways good character can be promoted within each school and across the district.
The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2002, at the East High Commons Area from 6:30 pm to 8:15 pm. This kick-off meeting will include a conversation with B. David Brooks, a national character education consultant, and group planning for future meetings. We hope students will bring their energy, enthusiasm and creative ideas as we begin this new endeavor.
Character Education Cuts Crime
Character education can alter student attitudes towards violence and reduce youth crime, drug use and cheating, according to a massive new study by researchers from South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Service.
Conducted over the past three years, surveys of more than 7,000 youths found that after experiencing a national character development program called “CHARACTER COUNTS!” they were less likely to lie, drink alcohol, and tease others, among misdeeds reported.
According to the findings, as a result of this program the numbers of middle and high school students who say they had:
•used physical force against another person dropped 33 percent.
•teased someone because of race or ethnicity dropped by 45 percent.
• taken illegal drugs declined 32 percent.
• broken into another’s property dropped 50 percent.
• taken something without paying for it fell 46 percent.
• defaced or vandalized property fell 46 percent.
• cheated on examinations declined by 30 percent.
• received a detention or suspension dropped by 28 percent.
Researchers said the positive numbers show that the program is meeting success, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. “We’ve found that there still needs to be more focus on training teachers, bringing parents and community businesses into the program, bringing the program to reservation communities, and suiting the curriculum to high school students,” said Rachelle Walsh-Vettern of South Dakota’s Cooperative Extension Service.
From the U.S. Department of Education, October 2001 and Girls and Boys Town National Resource and Training Center. For more information, call 1-800-545-5771.
“Celebrate Character” Conference Held in York
Over fifty teachers and administrators from LPS attended the “Celebrate Character” Conference on September 27th in York, Nebraska. Tom Jackson, an author and character education expert, was the keynote speaker. Tom offered strategies for using active learning to develop student’s character.
Six presenters from LPS led sessions on character education: Cathy Rustermier, Bryan Community; Trina Crawford & Sarah Rice, Hawthorne; Sue Braun, Riley; Sue Cassata, Southeast; and Cindy Schwaninger, LPSDO.
Primary Focus Assemblies Come to LPS
PRIMARY FOCUS is an organization comprised of 5 Teams of 8 college-aged young people who volunteer their services for one year to reach out and positively impact over 1,250,000 children annually. Their mission is to teach and reinforce character based principles that children will practice for life.
The Assembly Programs entitled “CHOICES COUNT!” and “IT’S YOUR CHOICE!” feature an interactive educational format focusing on the nationally recognized Six Pillars Of Character. These six pillars are: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. These highly effective and entertaining assemblies include fun and energetic music, choreography, drama, costumes, props, and audience participation.
Elementary schools hosting performances this year between November 4th and 15th include:
Morley, Kahoa, Zeman, Eastridge,
Pershing, Brownell, Fredstrom, West Lincoln, Holmes, Hawthorne, Arnold, Lakeview, Huntington, Campbell, Sheridan, Calvert, Everett, Prescott, Hill, and Beattie.
The assemblies are funded by the Nebraska Partnerships in Character Education Grant.
LPS Leadership Teams Promote Character Education
Elementary: Randy Gordon, Cavett; Ed May, Sheridan; Buffy Spray, West Lincoln; Sue Braun, Riley.
Middle School Character Ed Liaisons:
Judy Noteboom, Culler; Theresa Stehlik, Dawes; Kent Swanson, Goodrich; Lisa Sauer, Irving; Angela Zabawa, Lefler; Mary Metzger, Lux; Richard Krapfl & Vicky Harris, Mickle; Dolores Kirkland-Simpson, Park; Deb Sharp, Pound; Nancy Tegeler & Paula Schellpeper, Scott; Stephanie Schernikau, BSP; Kris Morrison, Yankee Hill.
High School: Teri Ourada, East; Arlyn Uhrmacher, Lincoln High; Tom Johnson, North Star; Lori Calkins, Northeast; Julie Zimmerman, Southeast; Shelly Shanahan, Southwest; Cathy Rustermier, Bryan Community; Barb Fitzgerald, Yankee Hill.
Hal Urban Visits Middle Schools
Hal Urban, the author of “Life’s Greatest Lessons” and a national character education consultant, spoke to the Lux and Scott students, staff, and parents on Tuesday, October 8th. Dr. Urban’s visit was partially funded through the NPCE Grant.
Taking Time for Character…A Teacher’s Perspective
By Randy Gordon
As a new school year begins and teachers around the district delve into curriculum, many are faced with familiar question - How can I fit another piece into my already crowded schedule? Character education need not be that difficult piece. Many of your time-tested classroom successes are testament to the power of integrated character education.
While the most effective character education lessons are well designed and intentional in nature, even more lessons are engrained in the day-to-day routines of your teaching setting. Specifically, the way we model respect, trustworthiness and responsibility in our content-area teaching and the messages we send to students through our classroom setup are the unstated teachings that form the foundation of principle-based classrooms. When the physical education teacher describes the
expectations in a team sport, fairness and cooperation are taught. The business law teacher is advocating for ethics in the workplace when engaging the class in a marketplace simulation and the kindergarten teacher is modeling how a caring person treats others by problem solving with a disruptive student.
The discipline model that we employ in our classrooms speaks volumes about the value we place on character development. Mutual respect, accountability, and perseverance present themselves repeatedly within the confines of a forty minute class period. Do you communicate firm limits when assigning due dates? Do you regularly use "I" statements when telling students how you'll enforce classroom expectations instead of "you" statements that may threaten and blame? A quick self-assessment of how you run your classroom, practice room, weight room or lab might provide answers to the burning teacher question of the day-"When will I find time to teach character development?"
Randy is a 3rd grade teacher at Cavett and a Character Ed Leadership Team member. He has participated in extensive training through the Josephson Institute and provides Character Counts! inservice in our district.
Character-Centered Education:
Creating A Positive Atmosphere in Your School
B. David Brooks, a national speaker and character education expert will lead a one day conference at the Nebraska Center for Continuing Education on December 4th. The session will address the need for character education, the three P’s of character education and the S.T.A.R. decision making, conflict resolution strategy.
Information on this conference can be obtained from building principals or call Cindy Schwaninger @ 1807 for a brochure.
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