January 2013

Character Counts! Newsletter

Frederick County Public Schools In this issue: Frederick,

In 1996 Frederick County Public Schools adopted Character Counts! as Message from a character-education program for grades PreK through 12. The 1998 Board of Shari Ostrow-Scher 13 Education Vision Statement, which proclaims “The Frederick County public school system educates its students to become caring, respectful and responsible citizens and family members,” reflects the Character Counts! six Ballenger Creek Elementary 3 Pillars of Character. Ballenger Creek Middle 7 Each of our schools has implemented the Character Counts! program. School administrators, teachers, support staff and volunteers design and Career and Technology 2 Center present a variety of related activities throughout the year. We invite Character Counts! coordinators from half of the schools to submit articles for the fall Carroll Manor Elementary 7 newsletter. The remaining schools present articles in the spring. Crestwood Middle 8

Emmitsburg Elementary 10 Trustworthiness Lewistown Elementary 11 Be honest. Don’t deceive, cheat or steal. Be reliable—do what you say you’ll do. Have the courage to do the right thing. Build a good reputation. Be loyal—stand by your family, friends and country. Liberty Elementary 12

Respect Linganore High 11

Myersville Elementary 6 Treat others with respect—follow the Golden Rule. Be tolerant of differences. Use good manners, not bad language. Be considerate of the feelings of others. Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone. Deal Tuscarora Elementary 9 peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements.

Responsibility Frederick Fair FFA 4-5 Character Counts! Winners

Do what you’re supposed to do. Persevere—keep on trying. Always do your best. Use self-control. Be self-disciplined. Think before you act—consider the consequences. Be accountable for your choices.

Fairness

Play by the rules. Take turns and share. Be open-minded—listen to others. Don’t take advantage of others. Don’t blame others carelessly . The Character Counts! newsletter is published twice a Caring year by Janet Shipman, Shari Ostrow Scher and Pat Baisey for Frederick County Public Be kind. Be compassionate and show you care. Express gratitude. Forgive others. Help people in need. Schools.

For more information please Citizenship call :

301-644-5220 or 301-696-6852. Do your share to make your school and community better. Cooperate. Stay informed—VOTE! Be a good neighbor. Obey laws and rules. Respect authority. Protect the environment. Congratulations! The following students have been selected as 20122012----20132013 STUDENTS OF CHARACTER

at the Frederick County Career and Technology Center

Brunswick HS Gov. Thomas Johnson HS Tuscarora HS Stephen French Caitlin Asmonga Jordan Smith Deanna Kinzie Jhanae Jones Daisya Boyd Meg Bergman Carm Saimbre Nasreen Khan Jessica Grisez Long Ho Jannette Valin Blessed Chigonera Jordan Safford Catoctin HS Tabitha McGaha Ella Silvera Bridget Bittner Denise Pearch Josh Epstein Thomas Bryant Katherine Sims Kekeli Tossah-Accoley Logan Barrick Ellen Merlos Wyatt Farmer Caitlyn Lowe Oakdale HS Maria Hamscher Theresa Schrider Reagan Hamrick Linganore HS Breana Tyeryar Danielle Kaufman Cole Pattison Kaitlynn Portner Jacob Murphy Phillip Kolb Morgan Harding Walkersville HS Natalie Tugwell Craig Etchison Frederick HS Krystal Knott Julia Grimes Levi Hooper Dayquon White Pia Toloza Middletown HS Kelly Hernandez Nu Te Troy Grove Katherine Majano Trinh Nguyen Garrett Radtke Noelle Chavez Peter VanGrootenbruel Mallorie Parlon Eric Fong Sam Ashley Catania Jordan McLane Urbana HS Emily Webb Erica Adjei Brianna Reece Rosie Umana Kristi Lee Jake Patterson Casey Lammers Hanna VanVlerah Esther Shafer Jacob Watkins

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 2 Ballenger Creek Elementary School By: Liz Sherman

It has been a busy year, so far, for Character Counts! at Ballenger Creek Elementary. After being named a Maryland State School of Character for 2012, we were asked to present our Character Education program at the Maryland Center for Character Education annual meeting at Stevenson University in October. In addition, we shared our program at the November Board of Education meeting. We continue to infuse character education into our daily routine at Ballenger Creek through PBIS, Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, student programs such as peer mediation, student ambassadors, fifth grade jobs, counseling lessons and special projects and even our school song. Morning announcements share character-themed messages, reminders to “stay on green” and acknowledgement of good things happening at school (individual, classroom and school-wide) and things that our students do in their community. Students learn that being a student of character at school then translates to what we do in our communities outside of the school day as well. We recognize good character on a daily basis. Students demonstrating good character earn Positive Paws. Classes can earn “Class Paws” during their Specials and “Mini Paws” for demonstrating respect and responsibility in the hallways and cafeteria. Students and staff who go above and beyond, making extraordinary efforts to contribute to a positive school climate can be recognized with a “Top Cat” Award. Top Cats are named on the morning announcements, called to the office for a positive recognition/certificate and parents are notified with an explanation of what their child did to earn this prestigious award. Top Cat staff members are given recognition and may choose, for example, a 30-minute leave early pass, administrative parking space for a week or extra planning time, etc. This year for Character Counts! week, in addition to wearing colors corresponding to each pillar of character, students were asked to sign and decorate a Kids for Character Pledge, signifying that they would demonstrate the pillars of character. Each student completed a link which was made into a Chain of Character and hung in the hallways. The prompt “I am a student of character because I …” was followed by hundreds of ways that Ballenger Creek Elementary Bobcats show good character every day. At the beginning of the year the counseling lesson focused on diversity. As part of the lesson, each student and staff member decorated a paper handprint. On each finger of the hand they noted such things as how they are unique, family traditions/heritage and good character traits that they show. These were displayed during American Education Week. Our families who joined us for a special American Education Week Breakfast Program decorated a hand as well. All of the beautiful hands are displayed in the cafeteria showing the wonderful diversity at our school and how we are respectful of each other and our uniqueness. Visual reminders about character are found throughout our school building. From the Code of Conduct reminding students to be respectful, responsible, safe and ready to learn, to the character- named street signs and the Ramp of Responsibility to individual classroom student-generated posters and projects, good character is evident at Ballenger Creek Elementary.

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 3 FCPS and The Great Frederick Fair Recognize FFA Members from Each High School

The Great Frederick Fair has a tradition of recognizing a student of character from each FFA chapter in our high schools. These students have experienced the Character Counts!!! program since elementary school and are exemplary models of good character, who make their families, schools and communities proud. In a ceremony at the fair on September 14, 2012, FCPS Character Counts! coordinator Janet Shipman and Career and Technology Education Curriculum Specialist Kristine Pearl presented each 2012 Character Counts! student with a certificate recognizing good character. Listed below are each of the award winners with a description of their character as provided by their FFA advisors.

From Brunswick High School — Tori Poole. Mr. Harrington describes Tori as sincere and forthright. She is dependable and is willing to try new things even if they are hard. Tori can be trusted to do her best on every assignment. She is currently serving as president of the Brunswick FFA. In this role, she has taken on many responsibilities such as working with new members on yearly activities. Tori is active in the Brunswick community. She has volunteered at the Brunswick Senior Center to help senior citizens create flower arrangements and other crafts. She is quick to lend a hand whenever she can and is proud to be an active part of the Brunswick community.

From – Shelby Hahn. Ms. Poffenberger characterizes Shelby as a caring, hardworking individual who is dedicated and determined to complete any job regardless of the skill level. She exhibits the character qualities necessary for close interaction with staff, students and community members. In addition to her high school courses, Shelby is earning college credit through the University of Maryland with programs focusing in Natural Resources and Agriculture. She carries a weighted GPA of 4.14 and is an active member of the Catoctin High School National Honor Society. In addition to her academics and responsibilities as FFA vice president, she has participated in Dairy Judging, Dairy Foods, Parliamentary Procedure and Horse Judging Career Development Events. She always has a positive attitude and is willing to help with activities and projects whenever she is needed.

From Frederick High School – Joyce Oh. Joyce is an extremely trustworthy student. Her advisors, Ms. Seiser and Mr. Mayne describe Joyce as honest and reliable in her role as FFA secretary. In this role, she is fair and makes sure that all chapter members have a voice. Joyce is always respectful towards her parents, teachers and peers. She is always willing to share her knowledge with others. As a caring student, she is willing to lend a hand to help other students. She wants to make sure that everyone has a great educational experience and does her best to help others achieve that. Joyce is very good at prioritizing her schedule so that she can complete everything in a timely manner. She is active in many community projects and is a key member of the adopt-a-family project the Frederick High FFA sponsors each year during the holidays.

From – Allie Coposky. Ms. Beachy and Mr. Hawthorne view Allie as a very hard working, dependable and trustworthy young lady. She is always willing to assist other students when she realizes they need help. Allie is a four-year Linganore FFA member and has held the offices of secretary, historian and is currently the vice president. She has participated in numerous Career Development Events (CDEs) including Parliamentary Procedure, Dairy Foods and Floriculture. She has had the opportunity to travel to the National FFA Convention representing Maryland in National CDEs. Allie is very mature and gets along well with others. She understands how to take directions and instructions and follows through with them to get the job done. Allie is courteous and polite and is always looking for the opportunity to help others.

From Middletown High School – Genna Gincley. Respectful, responsible and trustworthy are words Ms. Shriner used to describe Genna. As an intern she works independently caring for the plants and animals. She is self-reliant and shows respect for herself, her peers and adults. Because she is open to the opinions and suggestions of others, Genna serves as a great mediator. She is a member of the Unified Sports teams and enjoys helping other teammates succeed. She loves volunteering whenever she can. She has been involved in the FFA Food for All grant where members grow food for needy families. Genna is an extremely caring individual.

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 4 FCPS and The Great Frederick Fair Recognize FFA Members from Each High School

From Tuscarora High School – Maegan Noffsinger. Maegan Noffsinger is truly a person of character who represents all six pillars of Character Counts! She is a great role model for other FFA members and students. Ms. Stevens, FFA advisor, describes Maegan as one of the most courteous and polite students at Tuscarora High School. She is respectful, not only to staff members, but her peers as well. Maegan listens to what others have to say and is open minded and impartial. She served as the FFA sentinel last year and helped with the PALS program at the elementary school as well as the community service projects. Maegan is a valuable member of the Tuscarora FFA.

From Urbana High School – Taylor Manderscheid. UHS advisor Ms. Mayne shared that Taylor has proven herself to be very trustworthy in her role as Student Service Learner for the Foundations of Technology and Pre-Vet Animal Care classes for two years. She works well with students and they trust that she will help them without the fear of judgment. Taylor works hard assisting students to keep up with their assignments and making sure they have the needed supplies and materials to complete projects. Taylor is very polite and is willing to help and work with everyone. She is respected by her peers and is an excellent role model for young children. Taylor’s self-motivation allows her to juggle her classroom academics and extra-curricular activities which include riding and working at the YMCA day care center. She does all this while maintaining a 4.0 GPA!

From – Dalton Clabaugh. Dalton juggles sports, his Supervised Agriculture Experience, academics and FFA duties while making a firm commitment to everything he does. As chapter president, Dalton has led by example setting a course for the Walkersville FFA Chapter to follow. He has established committees and has empowered the members to take responsibility for their organization. He has the respect of younger members by serving as a role model and mentor for them in their classroom and FFA activities. Dalton works with other students and exhibits an impartial view when presenting and listening to other views. He is a good listener who works with student groups to come up with the best possible solution for the FFA Chapter. Dalton helps introduce young students to the FFA by working with Walkersville Elementary School on their Fall and Spring Ag Days. Mr. Stull describes Dalton as trustworthy, respectful and responsible. He exhibits the pillars of character in his school and the Walkersville community.

From Oakdale High School – Jake Main. Jake is respectful to his teachers and other students. Ms. Arnold is impressed with his demonstration of kindness and caring in her classroom as he helps care for students with special needs. He is going to be Oakdale High School’s first student advisor on the officer team when Oakdale becomes an official FFA Chapter this fall. In addition to his work with the FFA Club, he participates in sports and other school organizations. He is constantly busy, but nothing ever gets neglected and school work is never sacrificed. As a student athlete, Jake is fair both on and off the field and he is honest and fair in the game of life. He volunteers his time making sure he is contributing to his community. Jake is a great school citizen, serving as a role model on the football field, through the FFA and his active participation in additional school organizations.

Congratulations to all of our award winners. Thank you for being excellent role models and outstanding individuals in your schools and communities.

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 5 Myersville Elementary “Everywhere, Every Day!” By: Eddie Hargreaves

At Myersville Elementary our Character Counts!, “Everywhere, Every Day!” The words, “Everywhere, Every Day!” are the words you’ll see on a banner as you enter our school. The words are a constant reminder to our students and staff that we don’t choose when or where we’re going to display good character, but that it’s an ongoing effort to put our good character on display at all times, both here at school and in our community.

We work hard at promoting the Character Counts! program. Each morning our 5 th -grade peer mentors share meaningful quotes related to the six pillars, and our staff is constantly on the lookout for students exhibiting positive character behaviors. Staff may recognize students for exemplary acts of character by completing a Character Counts! slip. Part of the slip is sent home so parents know their child was recognized, while the other half of the slip is prominently displayed on our 6 foot tall Character Counts! banner in the cafeteria. Students are then given a Character Counts! sticker to wear throughout the day, so other students and staff know that the student is being recognized. Students are then recognized during morning announcements and the slip is put into a container for a drawing during our quarterly Spirit Rally.

We celebrate Character Counts! week during American Education Week. Each day we celebrate a different pillar. We wear the color that represents each pillar, beginning with blue for Trustworthiness. In the classroom our teachers reinforce the pillars with daily activities and lessons. The celebration culminates with a canned food drive for our local food bank in support of the pillar of Caring. This year we collected donations of school supplies, hygiene items and clothing to help victims of Hurricane Sandy in Crisfield, MD. Once each quarter at Myersville we celebrate and promote school spirit by holding a school Spirit Rally! The program begins with a PowerPoint of pictures taken of students throughout the quarter from various events held at the school while listening to the songs, “We Are Family” and “Celebration.” We recognize children for good attendance, displaying good character on our buses and many other accomplishments that occur both here in school and in the community. During each Spirit Rally our 5 th -grade peer mentors put together a skit for the entire school that highlights one of the pillars of character.

We also hold Golden Table celebrations six times each school year to recognize students for outstanding character. Each teacher selects 2-3 students to recognize at the celebration, which includes lunch on the stage, a certificate of recognition and an ice cream treat!

Each year the counselor highlights one of the pillars in classroom lessons in each grade. This year we are highlighting the pillar of Respect. The emphasis is on the fact that there is a respectful way to do everything . Finally, every Monday and Friday our mentors finish up morning announcements with the words, “Remember, here at Myersville our character counts! everywhere, every day!”

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 6 Ballenger Creek Middle School

By: Christine Alexander

At Ballenger Creek Middle School we celebrated Character Counts! Week by having our annual Bulldogs of Character Wall. Each day a different pillar of character was highlighted by informational announcements. Students and staff made nominations daily choosing a specific pillar for their nominee. The name of the nominated student or staff member was placed on the designated pillar.

By the end of the week the pillars were filled with names of numerous students and staff. We proudly have the display available for all guests to see.

Once a month we have an anti-bullying day where all students and staff are encouraged to wear orange. Also in the beginning of the year each student was provided a cinch sack that states “BCMS Bulldogs Don’t Bully.” Later in the year we will have organized activities to highlight Act of Kindness Week.

Character Counts! At Carroll Manor Elementary By: Lisa Frederick

This school year our students have participated in various ways to emphasize the pillars of character. Classroom lessons were delivered along with the opportunity to recognize students on a daily basis. Students’ names are regularly written on our Paw Awards and placed in a grade-level drawing at the end of the week.

Our specials teachers also recognize classes who earned the Golden Awards for demonstrating Character Counts! behavior throughout the quarter.

Our peer mentors led community projects such as the Holiday Food Drives for local food banks totaling over 400 pounds of food this year! Our Pennies for Patients fundraiser will begin in February — we are hoping to top last year’s total of $3984.59! Carroll Manor Elementary was among the top 20 Maryland elementary schools to participate! School-wide activities during Red Ribbon Week and National Character Counts! Week were also celebrated.

We have monthly Learning Lunches to support Character to Careers providing our fourth and fifth graders the opportunity to meet community helpers and learn about their careers.

Page 7 CharacterCharacter Counts! Newsletter Crestwood Middle School By: Jody Deveney

The hallmark of Crestwood’s initiative in recognizing the pillars of character is our PBIS program. Monthly incentive activities acknowledge the hard work and good character of all students who earn the privilege to attend. In early September all students participated in a field day to have an understanding of the Spirit Day experience. In late October students were thrilled with a spooky band room, had use of the gym, computer lab and the cafeteria for music. This was followed by our much anticipated Turkey Bowl pitting 8 th -grade boys and girls against a team of stalwart teachers. After much bravado and against talented teams of students, the teachers squeaked out a win. Because our goal is to provide instruction and re-education so that all students may be involved, those who were not eligible had the opportunity to complete the work necessary to raise their grades or reflect on behavior before the 20 th of the next month when grades and disciplinary information are collected for consideration.

On a daily basis, students earn “Cavaliers” for a quick reward reinforcing positive behaviors. These can be spent in teachers’ classrooms or saved to exchange for snacks or admission into school activities. Our guidance department prepares a monthly lesson and discussion on topics such as stopping the proliferation of bullying and career readiness that is delivered by all teachers to their mentoring groups.

For the faculty, the “Fish Philosophy” provides the framework for recognizing individual efforts to promote a positive environment for teachers and students. Weekly “fishy thoughts” bring motivational messages to each adult in the building and to many who once touched our community but have moved to new challenges.

Character does indeed count at Crestwood Middle School!

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 8 We are Filling Buckets at Tuscarora Elementary by: Kathy Leber

Each day at Tuscarora Elementary starts with a morning message from a friendly fish named Pete the Perch and some of his ocean friends. He appears on the televised announcements and shares messages that reinforce our school rules and recognizes staff and students who demonstrate great character. This year Pete is once again teaching the students to be a Bucket Filler. Bucket Fillers are people that show caring and kindness by their words and actions. The students and staff are working hard to try and fill others’ buckets every day. This year we are continuing our FISH program and Character Counts! Program. They are integrated into our positive behavioral supports and intervention (PBIS) goals and activities. The combination of these programs encourages students to work together as a class to earn FISH tokens for great choices in the cafeteria and specials classes. Classes work toward earning points for fish clubs. Classroom theme celebrations, Timberwolf Tickets, homework passes and other prizes are awarded to classes that reach the different fish clubs. Individual students from each class are also recognized each week on the announcements and they earn weekly prizes. Staff is also recognized for supporting our FISH program. As part of our new school-wide success program, students use clips to help them monitor their behavior choices. Students can move their clip up three levels to recognize outstanding behavior. Many classroom teachers have classroom incentives incorporated in our new school-wide success program. Students want to keep those clips on “Ready to Learn.” Each term students with 80% success rate for the term are invited to participate in club time. Each team sets up activities that students may sign up to do during that time. Students are working hard to make good choices and earn special club time. Once again this year, students can shop at our popular Timberwolf Market open every morning in our lobby. Peer mentors run the market, which sells pencils, erasers, folders, key chains and lots of other cool school stuff. Students earn tickets throughout the school for making good choices and showing Character Counts! and by filling others’ buckets. Students save these tickets and then use them to buy items at the Timberwolf Market. The Market is a big hit with students. Students can also buy privileges or items in their classroom. Students like working toward classroom rewards, too. In October we celebrated Character Counts! and Red Ribbon Week. We participated in Character Counts! Color Days. Student and staff wore certain colors each day to represent the pillars of character. Red Ribbon messages were read each morning on the announcements by our fifth-grade Peer Mentors. Character Counts! Clues were read each morning on the announcements and students tried to identify which teachers matched the clues. Each term we recognize students at our Character Counts! assemblies. During the assemblies we honor the students and recognize FISH clubs, attendance and specials class awards. Mrs. Hilliard invites families of the honored students to our assemblies each term where students are presented with awards for their achievements. Students, staff, PTA members and families at Tuscarora understand the importance of being active members in the community. Our wonderful PTA organized a Thanksgiving food drive, a Giving Tree Program and a needy student fund to help local families in need. We encourage everyone to show caring and citizenship by donating food items and special gifts. These are just examples of other ways we try to fill the buckets of others. Students, staff and community members work together to be good citizens and demonstrate caring and a commitment to learning. We are proud of our Tuscarora students, staff and community.

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 9 Character Counts! at Emmitsburg Elementary School By: Mike Brown, Tammy Reed and Janine Sherman

Character Counts! (CC!) is an essential component of daily instruction and activities occurring at Emmitsburg Elementary School. From morning announcements through the end of the day, character is demonstrated in many ways. You can feel the high level of enthusiasm as music with a strong Character Counts! theme welcomes students to the school day. This year, students not only read about the CC! of the month, but also share how they demonstrate this trait personally.

Beginning in September, teachers work hard to build and promote character in every classroom. The Pillars of Character are integrated into all academic areas including art, music, physical education, library and guidance. A Character Counts! bulletin board with the Pillars of good character prominently displayed serves as a reminder to students that making good choices in and outside of school are valued and important. “Gotcha Gold” cards are one way that EES promotes good character. Teachers and students alike recognize one another for daily displays of good character, no matter how big or small. At the end of each week a drawing occurs and one student is recognized per grade level. The selected student represents their grade level receiving a VIP pass to have lunch at a special VIP table where they enjoy lunch with a friend while listening to good music. Students also receive a certificate and a pencil to honor their demonstration of good character.

You can find Character Counts! encouraged in other ways throughout the building. Some students use a personal calendar that they mark when they have demonstrated a good character trait throughout the day. Points get accumulated and a reward may be given recognizing their effort and hard work. Some classrooms use a token system allowing students to make purchases from a classroom treasure box.

Building character through attendance is a major focus of our school. One strategy is called Count Me In! Students who achieve 100% attendance each month will be recognized, receiving an award distributed monthly in classrooms. Count Us In! Classrooms with the highest number of 100% days per month receive an additional recess. A Team! At risk students will be monitored daily. A Team will have weekly grade-level lunches with a supportive adult. Classroom Attendance Bulletin board! Classrooms with 100% daily attendance will be graphed by an A Team student member . Running Marquee Recognition! Those students, who have perfect attendance, will have their names placed on the running marquee in the cafeteria. School Spirit Dress Days! Days when students are often absent will be special dress days. We’ve included an End of the Term Celebration for students with perfect attendance each term. The students with perfect attendance are recognized earning a certificate and prize. Each student has a chance to enter a prize drawing.

During Character Counts! Week in October, students and staff were encouraged to show their commitment to good character by wearing the color that matches the character trait. A library book matrix was created to provide teachers with a read-aloud resource to model the character traits through literature. This is a fantastic opportunity to model fluency with children.

EES supports the community and shares their character through several outreach programs such as Red Ribbon Week, Kids Care and adoption of needy families during the holidays. Students collect box tops and Campbell labels to support incentives and programs at school. Many cultural arts programs held at EES focus on teaching character. We also incorporate 4 Stem Nights to help bring awareness and appreciation to careers dealing with Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. STEM has been expanded by incorporating it into grade- level activities each term. The entire school population operates on a 2-hour early dismissal schedule during which the last 2 hours all classes collaborate and cooperate while performing STEM-related activities. Students are employing CC! traits to successfully engage in the activity.

Through all of these activities, Character Counts! at Emmitsburg Elementary School!

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 10 Lewistown “Roaring” With Character Counts!

By: Greta Nettleton

We continue to implement PBIS here at Lewistown Elementary School. Our behaviors “ROAR” when we Respect ourselves, others and property; Own our actions and our words; Attend school everyday and show Responsibility for our learning. Tiger tickets are given daily to students and staff for demonstrating “ROAR”ing good Character.

To serve as a reminder of the importance of Character, our Student Vision Statement is recited during morning announcements: “We the students of LES will do our best at school, to be good citizens, to strengthen our future for ourselves and our community, to accept and value our differences and to Learn, Excel and Succeed.”

This year our students have been challenged to DREAM and set goals about their future. Our American Education Week was all about DREAMS. Students wrote and shared their dreams with each other, and parents and staff were interviewed about their dreams. In the end, a video was made sharing the triumphs of DREAMING, setting goals and working to achieve them.

As a support to our Character Counts! program, we are also incorporating the Second Step program school-wide. This program is designed to promote social competence and promote healthy social-emotional development.

Students are given recognition at our semiannual assembly where all students are recognized for their continued growth academically and socially. During Character Counts! Week, we continued our tradition with our Character Hike. Students dressed as their favorite book character.

Linganore High School Shines By: Dawn Aburto Linganore High School’s character shines to welcome winter. A new Character Counts! program has started at Linganore to acknowledge students exemplifying the pillars of character. Any LHS staff member may “cite” a student for good character. That student will receive a “citation” that states “You have been cited for having great character” with an explanation of the honor. As a bonus, the student receives a SMARTEE candy treat with the citation! The citation program has been very successful, acknowledging many deserving Lancers. The LHS staff is also participating in a Character Counts! project to benefit our feeder middle schools, New Market MS and Windsor Knolls MS. LHS staff is collectively gathering box tops that will be divided between these two schools. The box tops program is a nationwide program sponsored by General Mills. The company will give each middle school ten cents for each box top submitted. Box tops will be collected until March 2013. So far, LHS has collected 200 box tops. Our staff also just fin- ished a “Fill the Present” Hygiene/Toiletry Drive for the Greater Urbana Food Bank. Staff donated 100 items including tooth- pastes, toothbrushes, shampoos, conditioners and soaps to help others. LHS truly has a caring and giving staff! Finally, the Linganore community came together to decorate a Character Counts! “Warming the Lancer Spirit” Giving Tree with new hats, gloves, scarves, socks and slippers. Ultimately, 127 new items decorated the tree. It was a beautiful sight! All items donated went directly to area families in need of assistance during the holiday season. Linganore High School is proud to help in our community. Every day, the students and staff at Linganore exemplify the pillars of good character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship!

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 11 Liberty Eagles SOAR with Character Counts! by: Gloria Mitchell

At Liberty Elementary our mascot is the bald eagle, a symbol of strength and freedom. Just as the mighty eagle soars on the wind, our students are learning how to soar with success. The letters that spell SOAR have special meaning for our students and staff. They stand for: ∗ Show what you know ∗ Own your actions ∗ Accept challenges ∗ Remember the rules

Our Peer Mentors have been thinking how the pillars of Character Counts! can help them as they SOAR. Maddie Kahler applied Trustworthiness to our SOAR emphasis this way. “S stands for Show what you know, and if you are helping another student in math, you would not lead a student wrong on purpose.” Also, speaking of Trustworthiness Dylan Golliday said, “Without trust we would never make friends and people would be afraid to go outside because they would not trust anyone.” On the other hand, we can believe what trustworthy people say.

Grace Bowman thinks about Fairness and how “O” for “Own your actions” relates to Fairness . She believes that students who are fair do not blame others and accept the consequences of their own actions. Griffin Grinder focused on honesty as it relates to “Own your actions” and Trustworthiness . He believes trustworthy students are honest and never steal. If they find money or other items, they will do the right thing and turn it in. We see students doing the right thing on a daily basis at Liberty.

Katelyn Stanton says the letter “A for Accept challenges” means when a student accepts challenges he/she has to trust themselves and rely on what they know. It’s about stretching themselves a bit further to reach another level or to achieve a better grade. Ryan Barthlow suggests, “If you don’t know the answer to a problem, accept the challenge to find a resource to solve the problem.” In addition Ryan connected “R for Remember the rules” to Respect , a pillar of Character Counts! Being polite and raising your hand is a respectful way to show what you know.

Winter Davenport thinks that “Remember the rules” can improve a student’s learning. For example, she thinks better behavior results in better grades and she mentioned that sometimes it even get results like extra recess! Following the rules also shows Respect for oneself and others. Finally, Nicholas Pare’ addressed safety as a result of everyone following the rules. This is very important and it takes all people—teachers, staff, students, parents and volunteers working together to keep our school a safe learning environment where students can experience success.

On behalf of Olivia Rice, Spencer Grinder , School Counselor Mrs. Mitchell and all the Peer Mentors mentioned above, we challenge all students to continue demonstrating the pillars of Character Counts! in our daily lives. Thanks to our Principal, Mrs. Angie Corrigan and Liberty Staff, we are striving to support our new SOAR model of success, and while we have work to do—we are well on our way.

Character Counts! Newsletter Page 12 A message from Shari Scher, CoCo----CoordinatorCoordinator of the Character Counts! Program

Dear Friends, I have been thinking of how children get positive character. In truth, I think a large part of it is the modeling they get from adults in their lives. What does that mean for us at Frederick County Public Schools? When the shootings happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I sent an e-mail to pre-kindergarten through second grade teachers asking if any wanted to join me in making a voluntary contribution to the school to show our caring and heartbreak. As of this afternoon, I am mailing $700, in addition to a large box of books with name plates on each from us. I have seen other fundraisers taking place throughout Frederick County. Many teachers e-mailed to say that they were donating money through their churches, synagogues and social groups. On a different note, I was parked downtown yesterday and thought I got a parking ticket. Instead, I had received a note that simply said: I put money in your meter so you would not get a ticket. Pay it forward. Last week I was at the Frederick County Detention Center and I met a young man on work release. As we talked, I asked him about favorite teachers. He got a smile and named Mr. Viti who was an assistant principal at Catoctin High School when he attended. He talked about how Mr. Viti had helped him through a difficult time through positive comments and helping him find appropriate solutions. I have a feeling that this young man will be okay, and I am sure that Mr. Viti’s actions will guide him in the future. These are examples of the real Character Counts. We can each show our students, in small and big ways, that we are modeling all of the pillars. In my mind, this is what will last a lifetime. May this new year be wonderful for each and every one of you.

Shari

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