Character Education Program at Barrington High School - BHS Pride
We applaud and support the entire Barrington area community in promoting positive character for ourselves and our children. Our schools are working cooperatively with the community-wide Character Counts! initiative. We network together to provide all District 220 students with meaningful, comprehensive and appropriate opportunities.
Just as “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet,” Character Counts! at the elementary and middle school levels and BHS Pride at the high school character education initiatives use different labels, the language, philosophy, goals and expectations are clearly and intentionally linked. We have a distinct advantage as a unit district to align our academic curriculum along grade levels. This advantage extends to align character education at an age-appropriate level and address students’ evolving developmental stages. We would be not only remiss, but more importantly naive if we presented character education to a 7 year old child, 12 year old adolescent or 17 year old pre-adult in the same manner. The language, resources and expectations of Character Counts! in our elementary schools is a natural fit for the K-5 TH grade child. Our two middle schools are working together with their students to create language and expectations that are meaningful and acknowledges the developmental stage of the 6-8 th grade student. BHS Pride was born at the high school through research and networking with other high schools regarding successful character education initiatives for the 9 th –12 th grader. We found it crucial to customize our language so our students and faculty could embrace the initiative as our own. At this age level it becomes significant to address growing independence, analytical thinking and decision making for a “pre-adult”.
The stakes become higher for the high school student. The issue of “responsibility” (a pillar of Character Counts!) for a 3 rd grader becomes quite different for the 11 th grader who is behind the wheel of a car or at a party deciding whether or not to get “high”. Responsibility extends to “accountability” (a BHS Pride cornerstone) because now the issue may be one of life changing magnitude. As pre-adults and adults the expectation is a rational awareness and mature acceptance of the consequences of our choices.
“Citizenship and caring” (Character Counts! pillars) may find an enthusiastic 5 th grader collecting food for the needy while the 12 th grader demonstrates “courage and involvement” (BHS Pride cornerstones) by witnessing first-hand the squalor and deprivation of a Cabrini Green apartment then rolling up her sleeves to clean and paint the floors and walls.
For clarity and consistency, labels at times become a necessity, yet solid character in the purest sense has no label. Positive character is about personal choices, how we choose to interact each day, what inner gifts we choose to give, the positive differences we strive to achieve. Strength of character is an ever-evolving journey of continuous learning, change and growth.
Joan Anderson – BHS Counselor
BHS Pride Co-chairperson
