NEWS
Chatham Middle School Named “National School of Character”
In 2011,Chatham Middle School was named a National School of Character by the Character Education Partnership; one of the highest awards a school can receive for achievement in character education. The award recognizes Chatham’s character education program, its development of positive character traits in students and its overall school environment as being one of the best in the nation and a model for other schools to follow.
CMS is one of only two schools from New York State and one of four middle schools nationwide to receive this prestigious award in 2011. The school underwent a stringent assessment process and was visited by a national judge who interviewed students and staff about the school.
As part of the award, Chatham Middle School was honored in October, 2011 at the National Forum on Character Education in San Francisco. The award included a $1,000 grant, which will be used to further improve and implement character education at the Middle School. As an official National School of Character, CMS will also serve as a model school and mentor to other educators to help them transform their school cultures and improve academics and behavior.
At CMS, character education aims to encourage and foster in students positive character and behavioral traits, help build a feeling of community and togetherness among students, teachers and staff, and allow for differences to be settled with talking, mediation and cooperation.
The Middle School’s Character Education Committee oversees and suggests implementation of character building programs. CMS staff are continually adding or developing programs like peer mediation, tutoring, mentoring, student clubs, and over the past few years, service learning.
Service learning, integrated into the curriculum, provides students with opportunities that enhance their learning and make connections with their studies through helping others. Activities Include honoring local veterans, donating to the local animal shelters, baking bread for charity, or even just simply visiting elderly neighbors at the nursing home.
The National School of Character designation follows a long list of awards recognizing Chatham Middle School’s Character Education Program. In March, 2011 Chatham Middle School was named “New York State School of Character for 2011-2014”. Previously, CMS was named the “#1 School of Character in NY State” in 2010, a “School Committed to Promising Practices” in 2009, and “Champions of Character” in 2008. These awards were provided by the Academy for Character Education at the Sage Colleges, in conjunction with the Character Education Partnership.
For more information about the Character Education Partnership and the National School of Character program, please visit www.character.org