Fourteen Mehlville Schools Earn National Character Education Awards

The Mehlville School District's efforts in character education have been recognized, and 14 District schools, along with the District for its Project ENGAGE program, have been honored by the Character Education Partnership (CEP) with 2011 Promising Practices Awards in Character Education.

All 10 of the District’s elementary schools received national recognition this year, along with Bernard Middle, Margaret Buerkle Middle, Oakville Middle and Mehlville High, for implementing effective programs that encourage the ethical, social and academic growth of students through character education.

“Character education is embedded in what we do throughout the Mehlville School District as we guide our students towards becoming ethical, compassionate, service-minded adults,” said incoming District superintendent Dr. Eric Knost in a statement. “To have 14 of our schools receive this national recognition is indicative of the solid character traits possessed by our students, staff and community. It also speaks to the caliber of our current character education program, and we look forward to advancing our efforts further throughout the District.”

As part of its National Schools of Character awards program, the CEP distributes annual Promising Practices Awards to schools and districts in the U.S. and around the world for implementing unique and specific strategies in character education. The following programs in the Mehlville School District have been honored this year:

• Beasley Elementary School
  Shoes Supply Safe Water
• Bierbaum Elementary School
  Healthy Recipes for Local Food Pantry 
• Blades Elementary School
  100% Giving Day of Character
• Forder Elementary School
  A Day in the Life at Forder Elementary; The Head, the Heart, and the Hand
• Hagemann Elementary School
  Second Grade Business; Breakfast for Angels Arms
• Oakville Elementary School
  Open Hearts, Open Doors; Volunteering at Nazareth Living Center
• Point Elementary School
  Kids Helping Kids Project
• Rogers Elementary School
  Heart to Heart Project
• Trautwein Elementary School
  Manners Mentors Program
• Wohlwend Elementary School
  Wohlwend Project ENGAGE
• Bernard Middle School
  Salute to Veterans
• Margaret Buerkle Middle School
  Multi-Tiered Advisory Program; 6th Grade Leadership Camp
• Oakville Middle School
  Cooperative Learning: Increasing Student Engagement in the Foreign Language Classroom
• Mehlville High School
  Sewing for Santa; Sewing for Soldiers
•  Mehlville School District
   Project ENGAGE

The CEP is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping schools develop people of good character for a just and compassionate society. The organization recognizes State and National Schools of Character, in addition to honoring individual districts and schools for their Promising Practices in Character Education. To learn more about the CEP and its national awards programs, please visit www.character.org.