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Story posted June 18, 2010

Results:
• Physical bullying decreased by 50 percent, from 21 to 10 incidents, from 2004-05 to 2007-08
• The percentage of students scoring proficient or advanced on state tests is consistently above state averages
• Named a 2009 National District of Character by the Character Education Partnership (CEP)

Hidden in a picturesque area of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, surrounded by winding lanes, manicured lawns, and well-maintained split-levels and ranchers, Alta S. Leary Elementary School could easily serve as the backdrop for Leave It to Beaver. The school, now 50 years old, still retains its “small town” friendliness; however, its students are global, not suburban, citizens. Each morning, they recite the No Place for Hate promise and the Centennial Diversity Pledge, and each day, inside and outside school, they demonstrate the philosophy and practice of global citizenry: respect for all, ability to settle disagreements amicably, and helping those in need.

“We’re teaching our kids to go back to the community to change things. It’s nice to have a common goal of goodness,” says Kelly Kohler, student support teacher. The “common goal of goodness” that envelops the school is the result of 15 years of conscious character-building begun when the school, in response to escalating discipline problems, started working on conflict resolution with the Peace Center in Langhorne. In 2004, Leary adopted Project Peace, a program that aims to reduce school violence through peer mediation training, positive interpersonal skills, and problem-solving strategies.

“When Dr. [Donna] Dunar became our principal four years ago, she brought a new vision to our school and to the way we inculcate character,” says second-grade teacher Debbie Walker. Dunar envisioned a model school of excellence, one with a comprehensive approach to character that incorporated the power of shared leadership. The Leary Council (TLC) was born, and a year later the council, representing staff, parents, and community, adopted the six pillars of Character Counts to enrich its efforts.

Building Professional Peacemakers
“We are building a team of professional peacemakers,” wryly observes Susanne Carter, a building aide and co-chair of the Leary Family and Friends Association (LFFA), the school’s organization for parents. Counselor Leanne Hibbs points out that the consistent training in conflict resolution has helped students to see “mediation as a natural tool to solve conflicts.” Walker adds, “When peer mediation was first introduced, the kids were hesitant about using it. Now, when they find themselves in a quarrel, they actually ask for a session, because they know it’s a great way to solve problems.”

If conflict resolution, peer mediation, and bullying prevention served as the genesis of Leary’s character education program, a genuine feeling for one another provides the bond that makes Leary a family. When fourth grader Sarah is asked to describe her school, she quickly replies, “A home away from home.” Countless other students mirror Sarah’s feelings, each one commenting on how much the teachers care, how nice the kids are to one another, or what “a fun place to learn” Leary is. Sharon Regensberger, the teacher of a transitional first grade, says that the character education program has had a tremendous effect on the way students treat one another. For example, an often-troubled boy in her class exhibited the most caring behavior when the students from the nearby autistic class joined them. When a frightened autistic child rocked back and forth, the little boy went over to him and stroked his back to calm him. “It is amazing to see how even the little ones have absorbed the caring spirit of the school,” says Regensberger.

Making the Pillars a Way of Life
“Students are developing life skills here that they will be carrying way beyond Leary’s walls,” says fourth-grade teacher Matt Freeman. The faculty consciously works to make certain that students understand, reflect on, and practice what it means to be a good person each day. Among the strategies used are class meetings, morning meetings, peer mediation, anti-bullying activities, reflection exercises, and service projects. Librarian Lauren Zucker says that character education defines the school’s mission, and that building character has long-range gains: “We’re here to instill tomorrow’s future.”

Students internalize the pillars to such a degree that fourth-grade student Brendan, when asked about trustworthiness, replies, “When you don’t tell the truth, you feel doubly guilty—guilty for lying, but really guilty inside because you’re hiding something.” Moreover, the students can see the significance of the pillars in their lives and understand how they affect their behavior. Marcos, a fifth grader, comments, “They didn’t have the pillars in my other school, and kids were mean to each other. This school has changed who I am.” Conner, also a fifth grader, believes that following the pillars “will give us a better future in our lives.” Second-grade sage Haley poetically observes, “Character education is like a shadow . . . when you are really good, it spreads with you.”

Tying the Pillars and Service to the Curriculum
Named an National School of Character (NSOC) Finalist in 2008, Leary is an excellent example of a school that listens to suggestions and collaborates to implement them meaningfully. In response to the suggestion of the CEP site visitors that character and service be more fully integrated into the curriculum, the Leary Council met for two full days in the summer. “A change in the curriculum happened to be on our side,” says Dunar. Since the school was required to implement a new Rigby Literacy program, TLC and the staff worked industriously to develop curriculum guides for every grade that showed how essential questions can lead to themes on ethical values and specific service-learning projects. For example, in a fifth-grade unit entitled “Let Freedom Ring,” the essential question "Why do we have the Constitution and the Bill of Rights?" leads to thought-provoking assignments researching the background of specific amendments and concluding with an advocacy letter to a local congressman. Fourth grader Edwin remarks, “I’m never bored in class. We connect everything to the real world.”

The Character by Design Curriculum Guide, as it is called, lists service-learning activities that are natural outgrowths of the reading and discussion. Every teacher receives a hard copy of this curriculum guide but also has access to what other teachers are doing and to additional enrichment activities via a WIKI Intranet system in Leary’s library. Art teacher Laurie Schenfelt says that WIKI has opened a whole new world: “I love using it and finding out what my colleagues are doing to teach character. It’s great for sharing ideas.”

Leary has a clear expectation of service within the school as well as to the larger community. First-grade teacher Lisa Stecklein reports that even her little ones “get on board immediately” to help those in need. Walker’s second-grade class, after reading a story about Haiti, raised enough funds to donate 400 pounds of beans and rice to help the poor there. Not only did students write reflections, but parents commented too. One parent, Leslie Treffeisen, wrote: “Ryan just seems so much more aware of the poverty in our world and very willing to help. Great assignment in these times!”

Forming a Village to Raise a Leary Child
Just as parents are included in service projects, so too are they welcomed into every phase of Leary life. The school’s Web site lists 12 opportunities for parents to volunteer, running the gamut from serving as room parent to staffing the Holiday Gift Shop. Parent Colleen Paris says, “I feel that I am always welcome,” and Veronica Connelly, another parent, says, “I quickly learned that a personal touch was characteristic of the majority of the Leary staff, and it truly makes everyone feel important and appreciated.” Wilma Starr describes how volunteering as a Thursday Center parent led to a host of positive encounters with the librarian, the art teacher, and the principal, prompting Starr to conclude, “If the saying ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ is true, then any Leary child is lucky to have such a village of teachers and parents.”

Leary makes certain that the actual village is also part of character building. Last year the school partnered with Kiwanis, the Latino Leadership Alliance, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Warminster Township in service projects. The community was also included in the celebration of the school’s 50th anniversary during American Education Week in November. Using Microsoft Photosynth, students, guided by fifth-grade teacher Michael Scanella, created a digital history of the school that the public could view. The Pennsylvania Educational Technology Conference invited the Leary team to showcase that and five other technological projects.

Assuming a New Role
Schools who must contend with rapid changes in demographics that require new strategies and extra resources would be wise to use Leary as a role model. Although Leary has undergone demographic changes (28 percent on free or reduced-price lunch; 38 percent receiving Title I services in reading and math), its academic achievement continues to soar. The school has met AYP goals every year, and its scores on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) improve each year, exceeding those of other elementary schools in its district.

Dunar and the energetic TLC look forward to the school’s outreach presentations as a National School of Character. Leary, honored as a 2009 Pennsylvania School of Character, has already gotten an early start by making a summer professional development presentation to the Centennial district. Dunar began her tenure at Leary with the firm belief that “character is paramount to success as a human being.” The Leary story is clearly a fulfillment of that vision. Fifth grader Jessica sums up the spirit of the school: “We really try to do our best and also make the world a better place.”

References
CHARACTER COUNTS!Los Angeles, CA: Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics. Web site: www.charactercounts.org.

No Place for Hate. New York, NY: Anti-Defamation League. Web site: www.adl.org/npfh_philadelphia.

Project PEACE. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana Department of Education. Web site: www.doe.in.gov/sservices/peace.

Rigby Literacy. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Web site: rigby.hmhco.com/en/RigbyLiteracy_home.htm.

For additional information please contact:
Dr. Donna M. Dunar
Principal, Alta S. Leary Elementary School
DunaDo@centennialsd.org
www.centennialsd.org/le

This story came to LFA's attention after being honored by the Character Education Partnership as a 2009 National School of Character.

Copyright © 2009 Character Education Partnership.  Reposted with permission.

Click here to access the original article as contained in the 2009 National Schools of Character Award Winning Practices book (pages 3-5).

For more information on the National and State Schools of Character Awards program, visit http://www.character.org/nsoc.  Download the 2011 Application Guidelines here (pdf). 

Interested in learning more about character education?  Join the Character Education Partnership for the 17th National Forum on Character Education, October 28-30 in San Francisco.  Learn more at http://www.character.org/2010forum.