Bayless Elementary Honored for Character Education

The Character Education Partnership (CEP) has selected as a 2011 National School of Character Finalist—an honor given to only 50 schools nationwide. If selected as one of the 25 National Schools of Character, the school will be honored in October at a forum in San Francisco and on the organization’s website.

“I think our chances are great,” said Dr. Gina Siebe, principal of Bayless Elementary. “We have a great application, and we have great kids to demonstrate our character traits. When they come to visit our school, they see that our kids really walk the walk.”

CEP is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that promotes the structured teaching of honesty, respect, cooperation, safety, responsibility and other positive character traits at school in the classroom.

The Bayless School District has been practicing character education for seven years now. This is the second year in a row that the elementary school has been a national finalist, and the third year in a row that they have been honored at the state level as a Missouri School of Character. has also been honored, being named a National School of Character in 2009.

“We wanted our children to learn some core basic values to support the values they were learning at home,” Siebe said. “We started off small and started working toward including more and more pieces of character education into our curriculum, including lessons.”

Along with receiving character education lessons in the classroom, Bayless elementary students participate in service learning projects. As a class, students research a topic and learn what they can do to contribute to that cause.

For instance, first-graders research the rainforest. They pick an organization that works to preserve the rainforest acre by acre, and they bring money from home to donate. According to Siebe Bayless first-graders have saved more than 60 acres of rainforest over the years.

The second-graders have created a clothing swap. Students bring in lightly used clothes they didn’t need, which are distributed to families who could make better use of them. Siebe said the swap is a particular help to families in the current economy.

Groups of students also visit nursing homes, putting on performances and doing activities with the residents.

“We have moved to a more purposeful service to others, so children can learn why it’s important and what’s involved in helping people in their community,” Seibe said.

Other elements of Bayless Elementary’s character education program focus on conflict resolution and reducing bullying. The school has created ‘Peace Town,’ a particular spot in the school designated for resolving conflicts. When there is a problem, students may invite one another to talk through the issue in Peace Town. No one is allowed to refuse an invitation to Peace Town.

The school has also created a ‘bully box’ where children can anonymously leave notes to counselors about bullying that they or their classmates might be dealing with.

Siebe stressed that Bayless’s character education curriculum is a data-driven strategy. After being named a national finalist, CEP sent Siebe a set of 16 questions about the school’s performance, which she must answer quantitatively with stats and figures. They are looking for numbers that show improved academics, improved student behavior and an improved climate at the school—including higher levels of parent engagement.

“We are very hopeful,” said Bayless School District Superintendent Dr. Maureen Clancy-May, when asked about the elementary school’s chances of making the final cut. “Our elementary school certainly deserves it.”

Last year the Bayless School District received a Distinction in Performance award from the state, based in part on MAP test scores. Siebe said she hopes that this will help push Bayless Elementary into the top 25 National Schools of Character this year.