Parents/Care givers play a very important role in helping young children develop positive character.  As a parent/care giver, you are your child's first teacher and while your child watches you, he/she is also learning from you.  Your child learns how you interact with and treat others and learns how you react to different situations.  Being a positive role model is the best way to teach positive character.  When you treat others kindly, your child learns to treat others kindly.  When you handle anger appropriately, your child learns to handle anger appropriately.  When you show trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring, fairness, and citizenship, your child will learn how to show these traits as well. 

Character education is much more than just a curriculum of guidance lessons; it is a process by which school personnel teach and model various character traits.  Character education is a way to establish a caring and safe community within a school.  Good character consists of understanding, caring about, and acting upon core ethical values.  Character education is the foundation of academic, personal, and social success. 

• TRUSTWORTHINESS
• RESPECT
• RESPONSIBILITY
• FAIRNESS
• CARING
• CITIZENSHIP

Each month students learn about character education.  We have a weekly character education topic, such as, including everyone, keeping your desk neat, following the rules, telling the truth, etc. One student from each classroom is chosen by the teacher to be the TRRFCC Panther of the week for demonstrating the character trait of the week.  To celebrate, the TRRFCC Panthers are announced during the morning announcements, they receive a certificate and prizes, and they have their picture taken and then it is displayed on the Wall of Character outside the cafeteria.  The kids love to see their pictures on the wall!  This is a great way to motivate students to show good character!
*TRRFCC PANTHER will begin September 7, 2012. 

• Stay in a group—bullies are less likely to bully a group
• Avoid, walk away from, and ignore bullies
• Tell an adult—tell for yourself or for a friend who is being bullied
• Tell the bully to stop: “I don’t like it when you ______. Please stop.”
• Try to be kind; you never know, the bully may just turn into a friend!
   

The PAL (Procedures At Lunch) Club is held on Fridays in the cafeteria.  All week long students have the opportunity to follow the lunch procedures and show good manners on the way to the lunch room, during lunch, and on the way back to the classroom after lunch.  One student from each classroom is chosen to sit at a special table with me during lunch on Friday to be recognized for showing good manners.  Students receive prizes and their names are announced.