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Sunset Hills Elementary School's
mural depicting the Six Pillars of Character was designed by Mt. Carmel High
School student artist and Presidential Scholar Stan Prokopenko. The mural
faces the playground and helps remind students about character during lunch
and recess. The Six Pillars of Character are Trustworthiness, Respect,
Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship.
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The Poway Unified School District, through a generous donation from community member
David Bender, started implementing
CHARACTER COUNTS! at school sites
in 2003
and continues to offer training. The
over-arching goal of the
CHARACTER COUNTS! program is to adopt the "Six
Pillars of Character" (Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness,
Caring, and Citizenship) as a common framework to develop positive character
throughout
the school community.
Michael Josephson, well-known
ethicist and founder of CHARACTER COUNTS! facilitated a dialogue on October
20, 2004, with a panel of distinguished community members that included Charlene
Zettel, Director, California Department of Consumer Affairs; San Diego City
Councilman Brian Maienschein; Assistant Sheriff William D. Gore; President, PUSD
School Board, Jeff Mangum; Miss California USA Brittany Hogan, and San Diego County Red Cross CEO Ronne Fromme. John Culea, former television reporter and
news anchor was emcee for the program.
The program was entitled, "Cheating, Dishonesty, and Integrity....Where is Our
Community Now? Where Do We Want to Be?" The evening was presented by the
CHARACTER COUNTS! Committee of the Rancho Bernardo Chamber of Commerce and the Poway
Unified School District.
For questions about the
CHARACTER COUNTS! program contact 858-668-4060.
Character Education Program
Underway
Character education advocates the
widely shared core principles of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness,
caring, and citizenship. The principles are referred to more commonly as the "Six
Pillars of Character". Students gain a better understanding of these traits by
studying and discussing them, observing positive behavioral models, and resolving
problems by developing appropriate social skills. As students grow in character, they
develop an increasingly refined understanding of the "Six Pillars" in
order to achieve academic excellence and become responsible citizens. Poway Unified's
commitment to this effort is evident in both the CHARACTER COUNTS! Initiative and
Project ECHO (Every Citizen Honoring Others) programs that strive to integrate
character development into every aspect of school life.
During the month of October, the Poway Unified School District celebrated National
Character Education Month by hosting a series of school and community events. On
October 7, 2003, more than 250 parents, teachers, and community members turned out at
the Poway Center for the Performing Arts to hear the founder of the
CHARACTER COUNTS!
Program, Michael Josephson, talk about the importance of helping children make better
choices through teaching and promoting characteristics of ethical behavior. Poway
Unified hosted a two-day workshop on October 13 and 14 for school and community
coaches entitled, "Pursuing Victory with Honor". This workshop examined the
role and influence of sports in developing good character. Workshop participants
learned several strategies to teach, enforce, advocate, and model the Six Pillars of
Character on the athletic field. During the week of September 22-26, Dr. David Brooks,
a founding member of the Character Education Partnership and an advisory board member
of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, came to PUSD to provide training for the twelve
ECHO (Every Citizen Honoring Others) schools. Dr. Brooks is a national trainer for
comprehensive, schoolwide, character education programs and has been instrumental in
helping the ECHO schools plan and implement effective character education programs. He
ended the week praising our schools and enthusiastic about what he saw at ECHO Project
sites.
View helpful
tips for helping children learn to be trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair,
caring, and a good citizen from Parents, Kids
and Character: 21 Strategies to Help Your Children Develop Character
,
by Dr. Helen R. LeGette.
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Be clear about your values. Tell your children where you stand on
important issues. Good character is taught and caught. If we want children to
internalize the virtues that we value, we need to teach them what we believe and
why. In the daily living of our lives, there are countless opportunities to engage
children in moral conversation.
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Refuse to cover for your children or make excuses for their inappropriate
behavior. Shielding children and youth from the logical consequences of their
actions fails to teach them personal responsibility. It also undermines social
customs and laws by giving them the impression that they are somehow exempt from
the regulations that govern others' behavior.
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Show respect for your spouse, your children, and other family members.
Parents who honor each other, who share responsibilities, and resolve differences
in peaceful ways communicate a powerful message of respect. Respect begets
respect...and children notice.
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Don't provide your children access to alcohol or drugs. Model appropriate
behavior. Nowhere is the parents' personal example more critical than in this
area, and the family is the most powerful influence on whether or not a young
person will become a substance abuser.
Schools and
Libraries Offer
Summer Reading Programs
Every educator knows it. So do most parents. Summer reading is essential for
kids! Reading is a lifelong endeavor, and for many young readers it is critical
that they continue to develop their skills and love of books all year long.
During the
summer, the three San Diego City libraries serving PUSD, and the Poway Branch of
the San Diego County library, sponsor summer reading programs.
The youth services librarians
promote their reading programs at all of the district's elementary schools.
Students enrolled in the summer ESS program also have the
opportunity to participate.
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