Northern Highlands Regional High School: Dedicated to Becoming a National Model of Character

On Monday, January 18, 2010, Northern Highlands Regional High School held a professional development day for 150 of its faculty, administrators and staff members. The goal of the event was to serve as the launching pad for the school's dedication to becoming a National Model of Character.

Northern Highlands Regional High School serves the suburban towns of Allendale, Upper Saddle River, Ho-Ho-Kus and Saddle River. The school is located in Bergen County, New Jersey, just 20 miles from New York City.

As the keynote speaker for the venue, I was privileged to present a 90-minute program titled Creating a Culture of Character and Achievement. The presentation addressed contemporary concerns highlighting the crisis of character in American Society and encouraged the school in its commitment to character education.

Eleven Principles of Character Education

http://www.character.org/elevenprinciples

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 behavior.

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 the 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 education of 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.

Northern Highlands Regional High School, especially through the leadership of Principal Joseph J. Occhino, is to be commended for its dedication to becoming a National Model of Character. Our nation is in desperate need of a transformation to character and the commitment of our schools is essential to the welfare of the nation.

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Character Education Partnership	Click here to visit site
Vincent Bove Character Education Blogs	Click here to visit site