Seven Rockwood School District elementary schools have been named 2011 Missouri Schools of Character.

The Character Education Partnership awarded Babler Elementary, Bowles Elementary, Geggie Elementary, Kellison Elementary, Uthoff Valley Elementary, Westridge Elementary and Woerther Elementary, “for their outstanding work in character education and school climate,” said Roxanna Mechem, Director of Assessment and School Climate.

Achieving this recognition means these seven Rockwood elementary schools are state winners, and will be considered for the National Schools of Character award.

30 other states give these State Schools of Character awards recognizing the excellence schools have achieved in the eleven principles of Effective Character Education.

The eleven principles, as defined by the Character Education Partnership are:

1. Promotes core ethical values and supportive performance values as the foundation of good character.

2. Defines “character” comprehensively to include thinking, feeling and behavior.

3. Uses a comprehensive, intentional and proactive approach to character development.

4. Creates a caring school community.

5. Provides students with opportunities for moral action.

6. Includes a meaningful and challenging academic curriculum that respects all learners, develops their character and helps them to succeed.

7. Strives to foster students’ self-motivation.

8. Engages the school staff as a learning and moral community that shares responsibility for character education and attempts to adhere to the same core values that guide the education of students.

9. Fosters shared moral leadership and long-range support of the character education initiative.

10. Engages families and community members as partners in the character-building effort.

11. Assesses the character of the school, the school staff’s functioning as character educators and the extent to which students manifest good character.

Further descriptions of these eleven principles can be found here:

http://www.character.org/uploads/PDFs/Eleven_Principles.pdf