Grades K-3 • Parlin, New Jersey
The faculty and staff of Harry S Truman School created a School Theme Committee to establish an annual theme for their character education program, with a different focus for the theme each month. The annual theme and monthly focuses are integrated across the curricula and serve as the inspiration for school-wide projects and assemblies as well as classroom activities. Students, teachers, parents, and community members participate in theme-related activities. In 2005-06, with Make the Days Count as the theme, students were encouraged to make a difference in their school and community. In September, for example, the focus was Tabulate, and teachers made curricular connections between math and character education. Students collected soda can tabs for Ronald McDonald House in Make the Soda Tabs Count and began a service project called Change for Change to benefit Hurricane Katrina survivors. Other monthly focuses were Appreciate, Celebrate, and Motivate. Each month, a different group of students were honored at a luncheon at Countdown Cafe with the principal and community guests in recognition of their participation in School Theme activities. These luncheons, funded, decorated, and hosted by the PTO, provided opportunities for reflection and celebration.