Eisenhower High School students and staff have observed Character Day 2016 with decoration, kind deed and classroom lessons throughout their building today!
The day began with leadership students passing out 1,500 stickers with "character vocabulary" words printed on them at 7:15 this morning. From there, students entered classrooms -- 50 of which are equipped with "character kits" to help teachers better incorporate character development points into curriculum -- to watch videos and have discussions pertaining to the significance of positive character attributes.
The observance is a new tradition at EHS but comes on the heels of the school being recognized as an "Emerging School of Character" byCharacter.org last winter. Head Principal Charlotte Oates, who began her tenure at Eisenhower in 2015, hopes students will grow academically and morally by taking part in the many character education programs offered at Ike. Events and programs to date include a freshmen mentoring program, an annual food pantry drive and the "Enough is Enough" anti-bulling campaign. The school is on a fast track to complete required criteria in order to be identified as an Oklahoma School of Character, according to Oates.
"This really does change the climate of your building if you really invest in it and take ownership of it," Oates said. "We are so proud of what our students have been able to accomplish, and how much they have grown."
Oates and Assistant Principal Laura Puccino will venture to Oklahoma City this evening to attend the Character Day Gala, during which they will gather more information from speakers and presentations to apply toward their character education efforts.
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