CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM

The middle school character education program focuses on many traits of character building:

·Respect & Responsibility
 Caring
 Trustworthiness
 Citizenship

Each quarter, the entire school will concentrate on one of these traits. Teachers, staff, parents, and students are asked to reinforce and recognize the use of these positive behaviors.

O’Rourke Rave Board
Students and staff are encouraged to nominate students that demonstrate traits of good character. The students’ names will be displayed on the O’Rourke Rave Board; which is located in the hallway across from the Main Office. At the end of each quarter, students will be awarded a certificate and a snack coupon.

Attendance and Behavior Incentives
Stewart’s Make Your Own Sundae coupons are awarded quarterly to students chosen at random who have perfect attendance or have zero behavior points. Incentive awards are presented to the students in front of their peers at an assembly.

O’Rourke Spartans Show Outstanding Character
O’Rourke students participate annually in fund raising and letter writing programs to promote charity events and citizenship. Articles from local newspapers recognizing these events are posted on the board. Students are honored for good citizenship at school and in our national and international communities.

TRAITS OF GOOD CHARACTER

n  RESPECT & RESPONSIBILITY
Golden Rule
· Treat others the way you want to be treated
· Respect the dignity, privacy and freedom of all individuals
· Value and honor all people, no matter what they can do for you or to you
· Respect the diverse cultures, ideas, beliefs of others
Tolerance and Acceptance
· Judge others on their character, abilities, and conduct without regard to race,  religion, gender, where they live, how they dress, or the amount of money they have
Nonviolence
· Resolve disagreements, respond to insults, and deal with anger peacefully and without violence
Courtesy
· Use good manners
· Be courteous, polite and civil to everyone
Duty
· Know and do your duty
· Acknowledge and meet your legal and moral obligations
Accountability
· Accept responsibility for the consequences of your choices, not only for what you do but what you don’t do
· Think about consequences on yourself and others before you act
· Think long-term
· Do what you can do to make things better
· Set a good example
Pursuit of Excellence
· Do your best
· Persevere
· Be prepared
· Be diligent
· Work hard
· Respect yourself – take pride in your accomplishments
Self-Control
· Take charge of your own life
· Set realistic goals
· Keep a positive outlook
· Be prudent and self-disciplined with your health, emotions, time and money
· Be rational – act out of reason not anger, revenge or fear
· Know the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do
· Be self-reliant – manage your life so you are not dependent on others

n  CARING
Concern for Others
· Be compassionate and empathetic
· Be kind, loving, and considerate
· Be thankful and express gratitude for what people do for you
· Forgive others for their shortcomings
Charity
· Be charitable and altruistic – give money, time, support, and comfort for the sake of making someone else’s life better, not for praises or gratitude
· Help people in need

n  TRUSTWORTHINESS
Integrity
· Stand up for your beliefs
· Follow your conscience
· Be honorable and upright
· Live by your principles no matter what others say
· Have the courage to do what is right and to try new things that are good for you even when it it’s difficult
· Build and guard your reputation
Honesty
· Tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth
· Be sincere
· Be forthright and candid
Reliability
· Keep your promises
· Honor your word and commitments
· Be dependable
· Do what you are supposed to do
· Return what you borrow in a timely manner and in good condition
· Pay your debts
· Be on time
Loyalty
· Stand by and protect your family, friends, school, community, and country
· Be a good friend
· Look out for those who care about you
· Keep the secrets of those who trust you

n  CITIZENSHIP
· Be a good citizen and a good neighbor
· Care about and pursue the common good
· Be a volunteer – help your school and community be better, cleaner, and safer
· Protect the environment by conserving resources, reducing pollution, and cleaning up after yourself
· Participate in making things better by voicing your opinion, voting, serving on committees and reporting wrong doing

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Nutrition Guidelines

Guidelines adopted by the Middle School Building Council, January 2006. This policy is designed for school events during the school day.

No soda will be available to students. This includes a restriction on vending machines, cafeteria sales, classroom parties, etc.

Limit any dairy products to skim or 1% milk fat.

No candy sold by any team or other organization.

Limit any foods in the classrooms to those that meet the USDA Dietary Guidelines which are the following: (This includes classroom parties, food rewards, etc.)
                  Total fats <30%
                  Saturated fats <10%
                  Sugar <10%

It is recommended that food rewards be limited to no more than once every 2 weeks.

Teachers are asked to model healthy food choices and follow the Nutrition Policy guidelines any time they are with students.

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Pick-up and Drop-Off  Procedures 

We are concerned about the safety of our students during the AM drop off and PM pick up. To insure that we maintain a safe school climate in that regard, we ask that you adhere to the following guidelines:

Drop-Off:
All student drop-offs must occur at the music entrance no earlier than 7:15 AM and up until 8:00AM. After 8:00, for security purposes, please park and use the main entrance.
Student drop-off must be from the right lane only and in front of the music door. Please do not drop students off in any other place and not from the left lane.
The left lane is for through traffic and parking access only. No drop-offs should occur from the left lane.
As always, your patience and courtesy is appreciated.

 Pick Up:
Students must be picked up and signed out from the main office until 2:30 PM. A note is required if students are being signed out early.
When picking up a child, please park in the available spaces, sign in at the security desk at the main door, and sign your child out at the main office. Notes are required for signing students out early and should be turned in to the attendance secretary in the main office.

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