Seminar XXI — Teaching the Transescent Seminar

July 29 — August 2, 2001

Character Education and a Positive School Climate

Parkview Middle School

Ashwaubenon School District

955 Willard Drive

Green Bay, WI 54304

Team Leader: Randall Swille

rswille@ashwaubenon.k12.wi.us

Team Participants:

Rae Bennett

Jennifer Charles

Holly Engelland

Michael Glandt

Kevin Gunderson

Adam Janquart

Mark Lannoye

Christie Schultz

Kristin Turnbull

Team Advisor: James Gautier

Section One:

Overview: The Character Education program that Parkview Middle School started during the 1999-2000 school year is a work in progress that we have decided to update and improve. Our team intends to concentrate on building a solid foundation of instructional and strategic approaches to a positive school climate. By embracing the character values that our school already has in place, we will be able to involve our entire school and community in building a strengthened commitment to our students. In doing so we hope to establish a comprehensive school wide program that can be effectively implemented by all school personnel. This program will continue to foster positive character values while involving all staff members and students in a variety of coordinated and supervised activities that address various learning styles.

Project goal: To create a positive school and community climate through our Character Education program.

Specific objectives:

  1. We will develop strategies to share with our staff to build positive school climate skills and actions.
  2. We will concentrate on emphasizing Character Education integration throughout our school.
  3. We will use small groups to implement a new phase of our Character Education program.
  4. We will look at reaching out more to our business community and parents in promoting a friendly, safe, and esteemed school.

 

Activities to Accomplish Project/Timeline:

What needs to be done?

Who is going to do it?

When must it be done?

Get program samples from Positive Action

Mark Lannoye

September 21

Get resources from Eau Claire South MS

Adam Janquart

September 21

Get resources from Bayview MS

Christie Schultz

September 21

Get resources from Verona MS

Holly Engelland

September 21

Get resources from Spring Green MS

Rae Bennett

September 21

Get resources from Little Chute MS

Lisa Sanderfoot

September 21

Get resources from Manitowoc MS

Kevin Gunderson

September 21

Coordinate binder compiling

Kristin Turnbull

September 5

Student grouping and assigning to staff

Kevin Gunderson, Jen Charles, Kim Schnick

September 5

Get posters for rooms in blue and gold

Randy Swille

September 5

Talk at first BLT about resources

Holly Engelland, Jen Charles

October 3

Buy frames for posters

Jen Colligan

September 5

Get ice breaker options for Kristin

Holly Engelland

August 24

Section Two:

This program will be implemented within the first month of school. Our plan is to update the format of our character education program from one that left the majority of the responsibility for presentation on the homeroom teachers to one that involves all staff (including support staff, special education teachers, and special area teachers, and administration) in a small group setting. Every week, each staff member, with the exception of a few "floaters" who will fill in for absent staff, will meet with their group (approximately 13 students) to discuss issues and character traits, do activities, and utilize other vehicles to explore and internalize these traits. These meetings will be approximately twenty minutes per week. The groups will be formed within one grade level, but across all three pods. Diverse groups will be formed. Once a staff member is assigned a group, that group and facilitator will remain together for the length of the child’s stay at the middle school.

A list of assigned duties is included in section one of this document. The team has scheduled various meetings to continue working on the implementation of the project. The program will be presented to the staff via a staff meeting in the first week of school. Staff members will be informed what was discussed and decided in Platteville and given resources to begin the year with their groups. Two weeks after this meeting, the staff will meet again to discuss any observations and concerns that have developed following the first group meeting.

Parents will be introduced to the updated program during the Open House held on September 11. Teachers will be able to discuss the new format with parents, and literature on the purpose of the updates will be available for all to access. The business community will be approached by chosen representatives from the school for their support of the program. For example, a business may offer incentives to students, monetary support, or sponsor banners, pencils, magnets, etc. Radio stations will be contacted to sponsor the highlighted character trait of the month, and non-profit organizations will be asked to help in any way they can to spread the good word.

Section three:

  1. People involved in project implementation.
    1. Rae Bennett
    2. Jennnifer Charles
    3. Amy Dignan
    4. Holly Engelland
    5. Michael Glandt
    6. Kevin Gunderson
    7. Adam Janquart
    8. Mark Lannoye
    9. Kim Schnick
    10. Christie Schultz
    11. Randy Swille
    12. Kristin Turnbull
  2. How the project will be implemented.
    1. Staff will be presented with information and resourses at a staff meeting on September 5th.
    2. First group meeting will be held on September 19th.
    3. Follow-up staff meeting will be held after school on September 19th.
    4. Posters will be made and hung throughout the school.
    5. Building Leadership Team will be presented will various resources and specific curriculum programs to evaluate and choose which we will utilize.
    6. Project committee will continue to monitor, evaluate and adjust as needed throughout the year.
  3. Project will be implemented as mentioned in the previous section as soon as the school year begins.

Section four:

Evaluation procedures:

The program will be evaluated by Platteville team members, staff, parents, and the character education team. We will be using various surveys including two existing successful school inventory sheets to which the staff will respond. We will also be adapting those sheets so the students can fill them out and give their opinions. A survey entitled "Are We Family Friendly?" will also be given to parents in order to obtain their feedback. Student failure rates will be analyzed, and we will be looking at reducing negative responses to any of the aforementioned evaluation methods. Evaluation will be done monthly by the character education team and Platteville team members. We will also be evaluating at the end of the year utilizing various surveys.

Section Five:

Resources:

Beck, I. Expect Respect: A Sexual Harassment Module For Youth.

(1995). Downers Grove: Downers Grove Area Branch.

Bodine, R., Crawford, D., Schrumpf, F. Creating a Peaceable School.

(1994). Champaign: Research Press.

Cook, L., Hazen, J., Heding, H., Messling, P., Digman, L., Kabat, L.,

Hamilton, J. Beginning the Parkview Project: Parent/Community

Involvement, Character Education, and Positive School Climate (Research compilation). (2001) Platteville.

Curwin, R. Developing Responsibility and Self-Discipline. (1990).

Santa Cruz: ETR Associates.

Freeman, S. Character Education, Grades 7-8, Teaching Values for

Life. (1997). Grand Rapids: Instructional Fair, TS Denison.

Garnett, P. Investigating Morals and Values in Today’s Society.

(1988). Carthage: Good Apple Incorporated.

Gust, J., McChesney, J. M. Appreciating Differences: Multicultural

Thematic Units. (1995). Charthage: Teaching and Learning Co.
Jacobs, M. Building a Positive Self-Concept; 113 Activities for

Adolescents. (1988). Portland: J. Weston Walch.

Murphy, M. Character Education in America’s Blue Ribbon Schools.

(1998). Lancaster: Technomic Publishing Company, Inc.

Palladino, C. Developing Self-Esteem for Students: A Guide to

Personal Success. (1994). Menlo Park: Crisp Publications Inc.

NASSP Bulletin. (October 1999). Reston: National Association of

Secondary School Principals.

"Selected Literature for Teaching the Guiding Principles". (Compilation

of books that teach compassion, courage, honesty, loyalty,

responsibility, respect, and work ethic from Lineville Middle School):

EXAMPLE: (For complete list contact Parkview Middle School)

Compassion:

Program References:

CAB — Catching Appropriate Behavior. Lancaster Middle School. 1997.

CAB — Catching Appropriate Behavior. Lancaster Middle School. 1998.

Developing a Middle School Advisor/At-Risk Program. Iowa-Grant Middle School (Livington).

1997.

Improving the Climate of Your School. River Valley Middle School. 1999.

Parent/Community Involvement. Weyauwega-Fremont Middle School. 1997.

Parent Conferences take a New Twist. Weyauwega-Fremont Middle School. 1999.

Partners Around the Middle. Waupun Middle School. 1999.

Positive Reinforcement Program. Verona Area Middle School. 1992.

Pormoting Positive Climate. Wild Rose Middle School. 1998.

School and Community Partners for Excellence. Markesan Middle School. 2000.

Student Recognition and School Climate. Oshkosh-Webster Stanley Middle School. 1998.

A Survival Handbook on Dealing with Adolescents. Fond du Lac Middle School. 1998.

Where Dreams Begin. Little Chute Middle School. 1996.

Helpful Websites:

http://www.charactercounts.org

http://www.lifeskills4kids.com/archives/newsletter9-2000.html

http://www.usoe.k12.us.us/curr/inservice/char.ed/workshop.htm

http://info.csd.org/staffdev/chared/Process/process.html

http://info.csd.org/staffdev/chared/Lessons/middle/middle/html
http://www.character.org/principles/index.cgi

http://www.ethics.org/character/starting.html

http://www.msdlt.k12.in.us/belzer/character.html