Character Happens In Our Schools

There continues to be so many amazing Character opportunities and activities happening in our schools! Look for the new "Celebrating Character" newsletter coming to your school soon, with lots of great tips for embedding character in your classroom and school every day, suggestions for dealing with bullying and how to get your students involved in leadership and service learning...through character in action!

Character in Action
Students across ADSB continue to take on leadership roles in their schools and are involved in active citizenship through a variety of service learning opportunities. With encouragement from their teachers and peers, students are finding creative ways to give to their community and make a difference. All schools are participating in Pink Shirt day this coming Feb.23rd in acknowledgement of their commitment to a "bully-free" life! Together we make a difference.

Speak Up Grants
Congratulations to the successful recipients of the 2010/2011 student Speak Up grants. Intermediate students across Ontario are given the opportunity to write proposals to get involved in making their school a better place to learn. We look forward to hearing more about the progress of their projects and their successes.

Contact Kerry Grbich to have your school’s stories included on the blog.

The Travelling Flag

The Travelling Flag pays tribute to our fallen heroes, their families, injured, those currently serving and our veterans. On Dec. 19th, 2010, you may participate in this special event that will honour Scott Vernelli.

Sault Ste. Marie Armoury

375 Pine St.

11:00-3:00

Proceeds will go to The MCpl Scott Vernelli Playground at Queen Elizabeth School.

Organizers ask to please wear red to support our military during this day.

"The flag travels to military families and our supporters alike. Many legions, school groups, and families of the fallen , injured and deployed receive the flag. There are no specific guidelines as it means something different for all. It only pertains to Afghanistan. It is brought to many legions for our veterans to sign, it comes with a journal, many of our injured write to say thank you to a family whose son or daughter may have held their hand, it is written in by families who want to share their experiences or what the flag means to them. It is designed for all to be shared by all. It has begun its journey in Newfoundland and will travel all over Canada. It is not a hugely publicized event, was never the intention. It is for us as Canadians to share our experiences. When it eventually comes home in 2011, all that have been involved will make a general consensus of where it will call home."

Character Through the Arts

Character Through the Arts

Are you looking for ways to engage your students in exciting activities through the Arts? The following teacher developed resources provide ideas and activities to embed character through the arts. The Character Through the Arts website offers a number of lessons that focus on "big ideas" through literacy using rich mentor texts and teaching character using music, art and drama. Teachers and artists have formed a partnership to submit lesson ideas and activities to use in the classroom.

Enjoy a look through the website for many ideas/activities that may best suit your program and the curriculum.

"The purpose of Character Through The Arts was to integrate arts agencies/teaching artists and the Artful Learning™ education reform model with proven character education strategies to determine the impact this integration had on moral character and academic achievement.

In the “teachers’ corner” at this website you will find a large library of extensive, cross-curricular units."

http://www.characterthroughthearts.org/

Another resource to explore is incredibleart.com . When you type in "character education" in their search box, a variety of lessons from many online sites will appear. The following is a direct link to the character education sites that incorporate the arts in their lesson plans http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/Files/search.html?cx=partner-pub-6606350984518890%3Ay5o55p4jxaa&cof=FORID%3A10&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=character+education&siteurl=www.princetonol.com%2Fgroups%2Fiad%2Flinks%2Fartstuff.html#1119

For more information contact:

Kerry Grbich
Character Education Special Assignment Teacher
705-945-7433