Bedwell Elementary School

Grades PreK-4 • Bernardsville, New Jersey 

“Be a Good Neighbor” Caring Community House Award Program

At Bedwell Elementary, students are encouraged to become members of the Caring Community by displaying positive character traits. Students are acknowledged for behaviors that personify the character traits of Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. Throughout the school year, all staff members are encouraged to nominate students exemplifying these traits. Once nominated, the assistant principal calls the student’s family, presents a certificate to the student in the classroom, and discusses the good deed with the class. Students then receive a small wooden house to paint. The student’s name and the relevant character trait are added to the house and it becomes a part of the Caring Community Mural. The mural is prominently located in the school’s main hallway. In 2004-2005, 186 House Award nominations were made; in 2005-2006 there were 361. The goal is for students to be nominated more than once during their time at Bedwell. Students participate in surveys that gauge their perceptions of school climate that provide hard evidence that the program is working, and the character education committee provides anecdotal feedback and a forum for program refinement.