In Mehlville Schools, Character Education Helps Students Stand Out

For students in the Mehlville School District, lessons on character education are as important as math and literature homework. 

That's because the district believes that children with strong character make better students, said John Wolff, communications director of Mehlville schools. Teachers weave character education into their lesson plans and school events.

For example, Valentine's Day is an opportunity for educators to teach about friendship, Wolff said. 

The work is starting to pay off. On Friday, the district announced that five more schools were named Missouri Schools of Character, joining another five that already were named to the list:

• Beasley Elementary
• Bernard Middle
• Bierbaum Elementary
• Blades Elementary
• Hagemann Elementary
• Mehlville High
• Oakville Elementary
• Point Elementary
• Rogers Elementary
• Trautwein Elementary

Additionally, Trautwein Elementary has been named a National School of Character, which requires an even more stringent set of criteria.

“I’m very proud of our district’s efforts to embed character education in our daily practices," stated Dr. Eric Knost, superintendent of Mehlville School District, in a news release. "Our schools are wonderful places for students to learn and these recognitions validate the daily practices inside of our buildings and classrooms.”