Westwood Elementary has been selected as a National School of Character Finalist. As such, it will host two Character Education Partnership (CEP) site visitors on March 30, 2009. Using the Eleven Principles of Effective Character Education as a basis for evaluation, they will be assessing the school's character education program efforts. According to CEP's Character Education Quality Standards, a successful character education program:

Principle #1 - Promotes Core Ethical Values and Supportive Performance Values as the Foundation of Good Character

Principle #2 - Defines "Character" Comprehensively to include Thinking, Feeling, and Behaving

Principle #3 - Uses a Comprehensive, Intentional, and Proactive Approach to Character Development

Principle #4 - Creates a Caring School Community

Principle #5 - Provides Students with Opportunities for Moral Action

Principle #6 - Includes a Meaningful and Challenging Academic Curriculum that Respects All Learners, Develops their Character, and Helps Them to Succeed

Principle #7 - Strives to Foster Students' Self Motivation

Principle #8 - Engages School Staff as a Learning and Moral Community that Shares Responsibility for Character Education and Attempts to Adhere to the Same Core Values that Guide the Students

Principle #9 - Fosters Shared Moral Leadership and Long-Range Support of the Character Education Initiative

Principle #10 - Engages Families and Community Members as Partners in the Character-Building Effort

Principle #11 - Evaluates the Character of the School, the School Staff's Functioning as Character Educators, and the Extent to which Students Manifest Good Character

"The Westwood family and all community stakeholders are cordially invited to a meeting at 1:30 p.m. on March 30 in the library to talk with our site visitors and share thoughts about our character building, both past and present. Please mark your calendars and join us for this special event in Westwood's character education journey." says Counselor Barbara Gruener.