The character education program at Veterans Memorial Elementary School began in the 2003-2004 school year. Concerned by the rapidly changing demographics, a committee of teachers spent a year investigating a variety of resources and models of character education that would respond to our new found transience and diversity. The committee decided to use a hybrid model with Character Counts as a core program. The six pillars of character- Trustworthy, Responsible, Respectful, Fair, Caring, and Citizenship (TRRFCC) would establish a shared vision and common language for all members of the school community. The committee knew that the program would need to be implemented systemically to ensure its success. Therefore, the program was woven into the classroom curriculum and was introduced, reinforced, and recognized at monthly grade level rallies. The rallies served as a mechanism for ensuring school-wide implementation by maintaining a monthly focus on a core principle. Two students received monthly recognition for exemplifying the core value. Using the criteria for each principle, the class voted on their class representative for “model” citizen. Another student from each class was chosen to read their response to a “Dear Gabby” writing prompt. These prompts were aligned to NJASK so teachers did not perceive the writing task as “another thing to do”.  Additionally, students were provided a real world application for the principles of character through our Green Schools Program, Mileage Club, and Early Act Club.


Science Curriculum - By Wendy Monaghan and Kathy Ferriero


Language Arts Literacy-
By Gail Damiano
Literacy and character education are a natural fit and can easily be integrated into every day lessons. Teachers have students respond to literature by reading text, analyzing character traits, and making a personal connection. This task is well aligned to the open-ended questions found on NJASK. Students are frequently asked to engage in higher order thinking skills by comparing a character from a story to one of the six pillars of character. Students are also asked to integrate character education in their narrative writing by describing a friend or family member using personality traits and by supporting their analysis with examples. Through our monthly “Dear Gabby” feature, students write letters asking for advice to help solve real world problems that they face. Two problems are selected and published in the form of a writing prompt to which the entire student body must respond. Each student becomes “Dear Gabby” and writes letters of advice. Young students respond simply, while older students are asked to write in a persuasive manner by giving possible solutions to the problem, by including examples of support, and by relating it to personal experience. Teachers in each class select a letter to be read by the student at our monthly student rallies. 

Click here to see a variety of "Dear Gabby" writing prompts.


Math Curriculum - By Diane Noonan

Standards based math programs are a wonderful tool for integrating character education. By incorporating Investigations and Super Source lessons into math centers, students are learning to collaborate, share and organize ideas, respect each other’s opinions and problem solve in a cooperative way. Cooperative learning, inquiry based learning, and standards driven mathematics instruction are effective models for instruction. Use of these strategies promote a learning community culture by bringing students together to assist each other and to help students realize the value of collaborating with their classmates. Students find working with Investigations and Super Source math lessons a challenging and exciting way of meeting the curricular content standards for math and having fun at the same time.

Social Studies Curriculum
At V.M.E.S., we look for every opportunity to integrate character education through the democratic process. The students are asked to vote on decisions that affect the school. For example, the entire student body voted on the design for our school sign. The Student Council proposed and voted on introducing school-wide events like an annual science fair, a spelling B, a grade 5 kickball tournament, and selected free plan over organized physical activity at recess. Students have many opportunities for leadership. They assume full responsibility for running the school store. They decide what items to sell, place orders, maintain the accounts, and sell the materials during lunch periods. A core school ethic is “voice and choice”. We have a shared decision making model that permeates the culture of our school. Committees of teachers collaborate on school improvement and solve issues affecting all members of the school community. Staff, students, and parents are continually asked for their feedback so they feel a sense of ownership for their school.

The Health/Physical Education Program - By Bill Baillie and Tim Brennan

The Health/Physical Education Program has multiple strategies for integrating character education into our curriculum. One example is our “Golden Sneaker Award.” This award is given to a class if they exhibit characteristics such as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, and caring throughout the month. Classes who receive this award have their class picture taken with a golden sneaker trophy, which is displayed on a Bulletin Board in the gym. In addition, students are given a golden toe token to wear on their sneakers. Another component of our physical education program that promotes the character education is our Mileage Club. Students walk or run around a route at recess and collect a popsicle stick for every quarter mile lap. This is done through an honor system, thereby, reinforcing the value of trustworthiness and fairness. At the end of recess, students hand in their sticks which are converted into miles. Students are recognized at the character education rallies when they receive 25, 50, 75, and 100 miles. This program invites students to take personal responsibility for their health by caring for and by respecting their bodies.

Art, Music, and Library
These special area teachers often engage in thematic units aligned to character education. Last year, they used the first week of school to introduce the six pillars of character. They have also done an environmental unit. Our music teacher has aligned her chorus performances to a character education theme.

Character Education through World Language - By Monica Gonzalez
The World Language program at Veterans Memorial Elementary School integrates the pillars of Character Education by creating a positive self-image of the students and a positive attitude toward diverse cultures. The program fosters an appreciation for an interest in world cultures, making students open-minded and tolerant individuals.

Students through Hispanic Heritage Month and the annual Hispanic Showcase learn to be responsible and respectful citizens of the world. Through these two annual events, students begin to understand and respect the culture of their Spanish-speaking neighbors to the south. Most of all, the World Language program encourages and motivates students to learn and discover about their own heritage so they can how appreciate their culture as well as all the other cultures around the world.

Service Learning - By Karen Szeliga

The V.M.E.S. Early Act Club is a service organization comprised of 140 fifth grade students. Our goal is to seize any opportunity to infuse the pillars of character into every academic and non-academic program in every grade level at V.M.E.S.

Our members are dedicated to helping students, teachers, charitable causes, the community, the school community and the environment. We have instituted programs that benefit the students directly such as peer tutoring, True Blue Buddies- a peer socialization program for students with autism, and a New Student Welcoming Committee. Other programs have an indirect impact on student awareness. For example, on November 13, VMES students coordinated and implemented Mix It Up at Lunch Day. It is a national program designed to “raise awareness about social boundaries and division within the school and heighten student sensitivity toward tolerance and social justice issues.” This program has many other activities to sustain its impact throughout the year; The Early Act Club also infuses these projects into the curriculum.  The students collected data through student surveys distributed at Mix It Up At Lunch Day. The Early Act Club members, the entire fifth grade student body, will analyze the data within the context of math, social studies, and language arts lessons. This activity will provide the perfect opportunity to practice the pillars of character and share their experiences through writing plays, letters or essays. Sharing can be in the form of conversation or discussion. The potential for the practice and application of TRRFCC into our daily life is packed with positive possibilities.

Social and Emotional Learning - By Christine Brennan

The second grade inclusion classroom of Mr. Eremus and Mrs. Brennan uses the morning meeting to build a sense of community and cooperation in the room. We feel it has made an important contribution in setting a tone of respect in our classroom. The Morning Meeting comes from The Responsive Classroom Approach developed by the Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. We begin our meeting with a greeting. The students begin each new day by saying good morning to each other in a variety of ways. They may do a ball toss, greet in a foreign language, give a high five, a handshake or use a grown-up greeting (Good morning, Mr. or Miss ___). Each welcome involves saying “good morning”, making eye contact, and using student names when greeting another person.

The greeting is then followed by a group activity that is short, fast paced, and involves everyone in the class. Some activities have academic skill building components and some are “just for fun.” The purpose of the activity is to contribute to the sense of community as well as foster active participation and encourage cooperation.

The group activity is then followed by News and Announcements. The “news” is always written on chart paper when the students come in the classroom in the morning. The news consists of typical circle time activities like the day of the week and date. It also extends beyond circle time and includes other academic skills that are being worked on during the week such as phonics, spelling and grammar. There are science components such as weather and temperature as well as math pieces that reinforce the skill of the week. The purpose of News and Announcements is to get children excited about what they’ll be learning that day and offers a fun way to integrate written language, math and other skills.

There is a sharing component to our meeting where children can share any news from their lives with the class. It offers an opportunity to work on speaking and social skills in a large group.

We feel that since integrating the Morning Meeting into our daily routine, our students have been developing skills to practice respectful communication. We see many of the students transferring the knowledge that they have gained from the Morning Meeting into their daily lives. We hope to continue helping them grow socially, academically and emotionally.

Quick Tip: Begin your day with a Character Connection!

Every morning we have fifth grade students deliver the morning announcements over the public address system in English and Spanish. They begin the announcement with a quote of the day. Ask students to make a personal connection. You can also make a Gratitude Box. Have students write a message of appreciation to someone in the school setting (teacher, peer, staff member, nurse, custodian). These messages can be read during morning announcements.

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