HomeSchools of Character Awards
2009 Emerging in Character Education Awards
Honorees in this category applied for the NSOC award through the state process. Their applications merited recognition and distinction for comprehensive school-wide character education initiatives.
Highland High School – Salt Lake City School District , 2009 Emerging in Character Education Award
Highland showed strength in the implementation process in many of the character education 11 Principles. They are to be commended for developing a caring community with caring attachments. Especially of interest was how the school involved a majority of students and parents in the school musical. Highland has implemented several projects of notability. Students throughout the school are involved in the "Day of Service” and the entire staff focused on the unique "Freshmen Success Program". The leadership of the principal and staff members provided an avenue for all stakeholders to have a say in the planning of the character education program.
2009 Innovative Practices – Sponsored by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring
Schools or districts submitted nominations for Innovative Character Education Practices. Tonight we recognize schools for their unique project/activities that exemplify core values and “Best Practices” in the field of character education. Even though the majority of these schools did not apply for the NSOC award we hope that they will consider doing so in the future.
Highland Park Elementary School – Salt Lake City School District
Highland Park Elementary has developed a “Buddy Program” between regular education and students with special needs. Buddy partners participate in many activities together. They read stories, stay fit together by working out in Physical Education, dance, sing, and join in art work projects. Kathy Barnson states, “Our philosophy at Highland Park is that we learn from each other.”
Meadowlark – Salt Lake City School District
Spotlight: A Team Approach
Meadowlark Elementary in Salt Lake City has all the challenges associated with its Title I status. Large class sizes in 3rd grade, considerable behavior problems, as well as a mid-year teacher retirement, forced the attention of additional resources to this particular grade level as 2009 began. Armed with a desire to create a promising “2nd First Day of School” for students, a 4-member teacher team was assigned to the 3rd grade.
The 3rd grade teaching staff collaborated to provide unique opportunities for students at Meadowlark. Each teacher emphasized a character education practice to develop positive relationships and bring hope to their students.
Salt Lake Center for Science Education – Salt Lake City School District
Spotlight: Service
Salt Lake Center for Science Education offers a bike repair and maintenance class. As part of the class SLCSE students have been staying after school for 1 day per week this spring to open the bike shop for tune-ups and minor repair of bikes for members of the Rose Park community. The Rose Park community is very diverse and there are many families proximal to the school that cannot afford to take their bikes to local bike shops. The program was promoted at two nearby elementary schools; Newman and Rose Park, to 5th and 6th grade students that might need some help getting their bikes in safe operating condition.
West High School – Salt Lake City School District
Spotlight: Core Values and Creation of a Caring Community
This year Susana Anderson, Valerie Gates, and Josie Wankier from the ESL department initiated a program to help families of new refugee students arriving in the community. They partnered with community organizations and the Honor Society students at West High in an ongoing service project for the refugee students and other students in need. The objective of the project was to provide basic necessities for new students and also build relationships with parents. People from the community donated time, money, and other resources to help the students. Part of the project was their partnership with Shalom/Salaam Tikkun-Olam organization. The teachers collected and delivered food, household items, warm winter clothing, blankets, Wal-Mart gift cards, and hygiene items to over 60 refugee families in the West High community.
