Six Area Schools and One District Honored With Missouri Schools of Character Award
Six St. Louis-area schools and one school district have each earned the Missouri Schools of Character (MOSOC) Award for 2009. Schools and districts are honored annually through a program coordinated by CHARACTERplus, a division of the Cooperating School Districts of Greater St. Louis, Inc. (CSD). The St. Louis Rams Foundation, committed to youth development, sponsors this state-wide recognition.
The six schools are: Bayless Elementary School in the Bayless School District; Fox Middle School in the Fox C-6 School District; Kehrs Mill Elementary School in the Rockwood School District; Long Elementary School in the Lindbergh School District; Nike Elementary School in the Meramec Valley School District; and Uthoff Valley Elementary School in the Rockwood School District. The Fox C-6 School District also received the Missouri District of Character Award.
These winning applications are forwarded to the Character Education Partnership (CEP) in Washington, D. C., for review as a National School of Character. Only ten educational institutions from across the country are selected for this award. The winners are announced in late May.
In
addition, three 2008 MOSOC schools were submitted for national
consideration: Mark Twain Elementary School in the Brentwood School
District; Bayless Junior High School in the Bayless School
District; and Sullivan Primary School in the Sullivan School
District.
Missouri is one of 26 states to conduct the 2009 State Schools of
Character Awards. Modeled after CEP’s national program, Missouri
Schools of Character (MOSOC) meet rigorous standards, confirmed by
site visits. They exemplify the national standards of character
education which advocate the development of core values that unite
the community, a sense of belonging and autonomy among students,
parents as partners, a meaningful and challenging curriculum, and
intrinsic motivation.
“Missouri is
recognized as the leading state in the field of character
education. Schools and districts that earn this award are
considered among the highest quality in terms of ethical and
academic excellence.” explains CHARACTERplus Director Liz Gibbons.
She adds, “So what does that look like? There is a unity of purpose
and everyone wants to be a part of it: students want to learn
together; teachers want to teach; and parents want to partner with
the school.”
CHARACTERplus
and Cooperating School Districts will honor the selected schools at
the 15th annual CHARACTERplus Conference, July 9-10, 2009, at the
Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront. Additional information can be
found at www.characterplus.org
Cooperating School Districts (CSD) is an educational consortium serving 65 public school districts in Missouri and Illinois. CHARACTERplus is a project of CSD that works to advance the cause of character education and sustain its impact on educators and students.
