Character Every Day

I believe great character is in the little day-to-day actions that take place. Here's a great example. Doris Buck is a wonderful cleaner at our school, We are lucky to have her. Today I asked her to sweep the sand off the asphalt off our outside basketball courts and back into the playground. She was doing this at lunch.

When I was on yard duty, I looked over and saw many of our JK - Gr. 1 students helping her sweep, shovel and transport the sand with their dump trucks. She had to go into the school to get more brooms and shovels. I was so proud of our little ones, and of Doris for letting them help.

This touching story was shared by Barb Jarvis

Principal, Sir James Dunn Elementary

Wawa

Teaching Tolerance

At a recent workshop I discover some wonderful FREE resources for teachers that I believe fit nicely with our Character Education initiative and have a focus on equity, inclusion and diversity. The magazine is titled "Teaching Tolerance" and focuses on such issues as poverty, homelessness, bias, cyber-bullying and others with the purpose of helping students to deepen their cultural understanding. This is a free resource to teachers. Archived articles are also found on the link below.

http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/archives

In addition to the magazine, Teaching Tolerance kits such as are also free to educators.

Order your materials using this form. They also have various classroom activities that you may find useful in your classroom. Please review materials to determine suitability for your class and students.

Contact Kerry Grbich if you have any questions.

Children Helping Children Through Education

Free The Children

Through leadership training at home and community development projects abroad, Free The Children empowers youth everywhere to make a difference. Their motto is Free children from poverty. Free children from exploitation. Free children from the idea that they are powerless to change the world.

"Free The Children is the world’s largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded in 1995 by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has a proven track record of success. The organization has received the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the child (also known as the Children’s Nobel Prize), the Human Rights Award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations, and has formed successful partnerships with leading school board and Oprah’s Angel Network."

~Free the Children

The Educator's resource page http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/educator/ provides many ideas for teachers to help engage students in global citizenship and empowers students to get involved and make a difference. Global Voices is an exciting classroom-based program aimed at developing global citizens! Teachers can sign up to receive on-line articles and resources that help support their classroom Character Education program and inspire their students to change the world through issues-based activities and discussion. Sign up here:

http://www.freethechildren.com/getinvolved/educator/programs.php?type=global

For more information and resources to support student engagement and leadership in your school and classroom, please contact me.

Kerry Grbich
Program Team

Character Education Special Assignment Teacher, K-12

705-945-7433