Does the constant evolution of “best practices” in your child’s education have your head spinning? With the spotlight on academics, there’s one key area of learning that could get left behind: Character Education.
Albert Einstein said, “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” Christ Church Day School (CCDS) in Coronado, CA, works tirelessly to create lifelong learners, every step of the way instilling virtues students will carry with them long after they’ve left the classroom.
Judy Hunsberger, Head of CCDS, says that character education is a big part of who they are. “We want to foster the development of the deepest issues of humanity and teach children to understand their responsibility for the well-being of our society.” This philosophy rests on a sturdy foundation of Christian ethics and is woven into school and classroom service projects, as well as into chapel services. The school believes that by starting at a very young age, they can cultivate and develop students into servant leaders who will continue serving for the rest of their lives.
Each month CCDS highlights a different virtue such as honesty, fairness, compassion, or respect, that becomes the overarching theme for that month. The selected virtue can be incorporated into classroom lessons or activities and/or highlighted in a schoolwide service project that benefits a local, national, or even international organization. During the month of October, for example, the school had a “Pennies for Paws” fundraiser to help raise money for a local animal shelter. In the classroom, children learned about St. Francis who is considered the patron saint of animals. This particular service lesson coincided with the Blessing of the Animals that took place at the school’s church.
Another service project with a strong curriculum connection happens in the third grade. Students are learning about the rainforest in Science class, and it’s not just the aesthetics and inhabitants. Like other third graders across the country, they’ll also learn of the various threats to the rainforest. But these children will be given the opportunity to do something about it. CCDS third graders save Box Tops for Education which they earn money for and will in turn donate those proceeds to charities which serve the rainforest efforts.
Some of the service projects are made possible by working with charitable organizations such as food pantries and other churches. In November, the school will partner with Christ Church to fill 200 Thanksgiving food baskets which will be distributed by local organizations across San Diego. Then, in January, the church hosts a spaghetti dinner where the school’s sixth graders will serve the meals. There is also a food collection to benefit a church’s food pantry. Students and their families collect food all month long for the drive. The message the children receive is that being thankful for our blessings is only part of our purpose for celebration; the key is to show them how to share those blessings with others.
And that’s exactly what the school strives for every day. Their giving hands reach far beyond the local community as well. In December they’ll participate in “Operation Shoebox” where they work with a national organization to provide shoeboxes filled with items for kids in other parts of the world who might not receive much during the holiday.
One of the more unique service projects the school holds serves a very different kind of need. In February, children will make valentines for senior citizens. The children will learn that charity is not just about giving or raising money, and at the same time this project reinforces acknowledging and respecting the older generation. Valentines will be delivered to a local senior center to be presented to the seniors on Valentine’s Day.
As the children get older, the responsibility to serve shifts into their hands as they are given required community service hours to perform. Each year fifth graders need to accomplish at least five hours of service while sixth graders must serve ten hours. These service hours are in addition to any service component they participate in during school as they are required to do their hours outside of the school day.
At CCDS, character education is not just another lesson along with reading, writing, and math. It’s a way of life—one that starts with an appreciation of life’s blessings and a “pay it forward” mentality that comes across in everything they do. Staff, teachers, students, and even parents are behind the service component of the school, volunteering time, energy, and resources for a better world and a better tomorrow.
