LA PLATA, Md.—The Maryland Center for Character Education (MCCE) recently named Thomas Stone High School a 2012 School of the Year award winner. Schools are selected annually for implementing comprehensive character education initiatives within their school communities.
The MCCE selects schools for the state award based on their demonstration of the Character Education Partnership’s 11 principles of Effective Character Education. The principles focus on the promotion of ethical values and a caring school community, fostering students’ self-motivation and engaging school staff to help with character-building efforts. This is the fourth year in a row that the MCCE has recognized Stone for their character education initiatives.
Over the past decade, Stone staff has implemented several character education initiatives within their school community. These initiatives include the launch of the “Capturing Kids Hearts” program, in which staff focus on engaging students in their school community, as well as providing encouragement and positive reinforcement. Another successful character education program at Stone is the “Cougar Pride” program in which character words of the month, such as perseverance, unity, integrity, service, citizenship and caring, are highlighted during classroom lessons, morning announcements and are reinforced at home with follow-up assignments.
Last year, Stone received a School of Character honorable mention award and was named an Emerging School of Character in 2010. In 2009, the MCCE honored Stone with a Maryland State School of Character award. Each year, the awards program honors Maryland schools with State Schools of Character awards, selects Honorable Mention recipients and names additional schools as Emerging School of Character award winners.
Stone will be honored during an awards program hosted by the MCCE on Oct. 4, and will receive a 2012 School of the Year banner to display in the school. For more information on the MCCE and character education initiatives, visit http://www.mdctrcharacter.org/.
Source: Charles County Public Schools